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Zulu Grammar quick reference

Noun Prefixes
 
Class sing. plur.
1/2 um(u)- aba-, abe-
1a/2a u- o-
3/4 um(u)- imi-
5/6 i- ama-, ame-
7/8 isi- izi-
9/10 i(m,n)- izi(m,n)-
11/10 u- izi(m,n)-
14 ubu-
15 uku-
17 uku-
Subject Concords
(present tense)
sing. +,-,p plur. +,-,p
u-, -ka-, e- ba-, -ba-, be-
u-, -ka-, e- ba-, -ba-, be-
u-, -wu- i-, -yi-
li-, -li- a-, -wa-, e-
si-, -si- zi-, -zi-
i-, -yi- zi-, -zi-
lu-, -lu- zi-, -zi-
bu-, -bu-
ku-, -ku-
ku-, -ku- (also indef. "it")
Subject Concords
(past tense: SC+a)
sing. plur.
wa- ba-
wa- ba-
wa- ya-
la- a-
sa- za-
ya- za-
lwa- za-
ba-
kwa-
kwa-
Subject Concords
(recent past cont.)
sing. plur.
ube-
 bebe-
ube-
 bebe-
ube-
 beyi-
beli-
 abe-
besi-
 bezi-
beyi- bezi-
belu-
 bezi-
bebu-
beku-
beku-
Object Concords
 
sing. plur.
-m- -ba-
-m-, -wu-¹ -ba-
-wu- -yi-
-li- -wa-
-si- -zi-
-yi- -zi-
-lu- -zi-
-bu-
-ku-
-ku-
Possessive Concords
(SC + a)²
sing. plur.
wa-, ka- ba-, baka-
wa-, ka- ba-, baka-
wa-, ka- ya-, ka-
la-, lika- a-, ka-
sa-, sika- za-, zika-
ya-, ka- za-, zika-
lwa-, luka- za-, zika-
ba-, buka-
kwa-, kuka-
kwa-, kuka-

Personal SC (+,-,p)
ngi-, -ngi- I
u-, -wu- you
u-, -ka-, e- he/she
si-, -si- we
ni-, -ni- you
ba-, -ba-, be- they
Personal SC
nga- I
wa- you
wa- he/she
sa- we
na- you
ba- they
Personal SC
bengi- I
ube-
 you
ube-
 he/she
besi-
 we
beni-
 you
bebe-
 they
Personal OC
-ngi- me
-ku- you
-m- him/her
-si- us
-ni- you
-ba- them
Possessive Stems
-mi my
-kho your
-khe his/her
-ithu our
-inu your
-bo their

+ = positive
- = negative
p = participial mood

Future tense:
SC + -zo- (neg: -zu-)
(+ -ku- for monosyllabic verbs)

¹ -m- refers to persons,
-wu- to other objects:
uyamsiza ubaba
He's helping dad
uyawufuna ubhiya
He wants the beer 		² the -ka- variants are used
with class 1a/2a possessors:
izinkomo zikababa
Dad's cattle

 

Noun Prefixes
 
Class sing. plur.
1/2 um(u)- aba-, abe-
1a/2a u- o-
3/4 um(u)- imi-
5/6 i- ama-, ame-
7/8 isi- izi-
9/10 i(m,n)- izi(m,n)-
11/10 u- izi(m,n)-
14 ubu-
15 uku-
17
 uku-
Absolute Pronouns
 
sing. plur.
yena bona
yena bona
wona yona
lona wona
sona zona
yona zona
lona zona
bona
khona
khona
Adjective Concords
(a + noun prefix)
sing. plur.
om(u)- aba-
om(u)- aba-
om(u)- emi-
eli- ama-
esi- ezi-
en-, em- ezin-, ezim-
olu- ezin-, ezim-
obu-
oku-
oku-
Relative Concords
 
sing. plur.
o- aba-
o- aba-
o- e-
eli- a-
esi- ezi-
e- ezi-
olu- ezi-
obu-
oku-
oku-
Quantitative Concords
(-dwa, -nke)
sing. plur.
ye-, wo- bo-
ye-, wo- bo-
wo- yo-
lo- o-
so- zo-
yo- zo-
lo- zo-
bo-
ko-
ko-
"One" Concords
(sing. only)
-dwa (rc+qc) -nye (bnp)
oye- mu-
oye- mu-
owo- mu-
elilo- li-
esiso- si-
eyo- yi-
olulo- lu-
obubo- bu-
okuko- ku-
okuko- ku-

Personal Pronouns
mina I
wena you
yena he/she
thina we
nina you
bona they
Personal AC
engim(u)-
om(u)-
om(u)-
esiba-
eniba-
aba-
Personal RC
engi-
o-
o-
esi-
eni-
aba-
Personal QC
nge-, wo-
we-, wo-
ye-, wo-
so-
no-
bo-
Personal (-nye)


 
simu-
nimu-
 

Absolute pronouns lose their trailing -na when used with a prefix. E.g.: nga- + mina = ngami (about me).

-dwa:
 only/solely (adv.)
-nke:
 sg.: all, the whole
 pl.: all, every		 -dwa:
 one/only (adj.)
-nye:
 it/there is one ...




The whole truth about -dwa
Inkosi yodwa   Only the chief. The chief alone.
Inkosi eyodwa   One chief
Eyodwa inkosi   The only chief

 

Noun Prefixes
 
Class sing. plur.
1/2 um(u)- aba-, abe-
1a/2a u- o-
3/4 um(u)- imi-
5/6 i- ama-, ame-
7/8 isi- izi-
9/10 i(m,n)- izi(m,n)-
11/10 u- izi(m,n)-
14 ubu-
15 uku-
17
 uku-
Demonstrative Pronouns
(this, that, that over there)
sing. plur.
lo, lowo, lowaya laba, labo, labaya
lo, lowo, lowaya laba, labo, labaya
lo, lowo, lowaya le, leyo, leyaya
leli, lelo, leliya la, lawo, lawaya
lesi, leso, lesiya lezi, lezo, leziya
le, leyo, leyaya lezi, lezo, leziya
lolu, lolo, loluya lezi, lezo, leziya
lobu, lobo, lobuya
lokhu, lokho, lokhuya
lokhu, lokho, lokhuya
Locative Demonstratives
(here is, there is, over there is)
sing. plur.
nangu, nango, nanguya naba, nabo, nabaya
nangu, nango, nanguya naba, nabo, nabaya
nanku, nanko, nankuya nayi, nayo, nayiya
nanti, nanto, nantiya nanka, nanko, nankaya
nasi, naso, nasiya nazi, nazo, naziya
nayi, nayo, nayiya nazi, nazo, naziya
nalu, nalo, naluya nazi, nazo, naziya
nabu, nabo, nabuya
nakhu, nakho, nakhuya
nakhu, nakho, nakhuya
Enumerative Prefixes
(-phi, -ni) (bnp)
sing. plur.
mu- ba-
mu- ba-
mu- mi
li- ma-
si- zi-
yi- zi-
lu- zi-
bu-
ku-
ku-



-phi: which?
-ni: what kind/sort of?