Salibonani bangane (It is nice to see you/ hello friends). As always, if you are new, please read the siNdebele lessons from the bottom (scroll down) and work up to this, the newest post. Kulungile, lamhla (ok, today) let us look at polite greetings you can use in an isiNdebele society:
Ekuseni (in the morning):
Person 1: Uvukile! (Good morning, or more literally "you have woken up")
Person 2: Ngivukile, uvuke njani lawe? (Good morning, how did you sleep yourself?)
Person 1: Ngivukile, ngibuza wena (I slept well if you also slept well)
Person 2: Ngivukile (I have slept well)
Emini (in the afternoon)
Person 1: Utshonile! (Good afternoon)
Person 2: Ngitshonile, utshone njani wena? (Good afternoon, have you spent the day well yourself?)
Person 1: Ngitshonile, ngingabuza wena (I have spent it well, if you have also spent it well)
Person 2: Ngitshonile (I have spent it well)
Person 1: Kunjani? (How are you?)
Person 2: Ngiyaphila, kunjani? (I am fine (healthy), how are you?)
Person 1: Ngiyaphila (I am fine)
People may say 'linjani' instead of 'kunjani' when talking to one person. To this you would reply "siphilile' instead of 'ngiphilile'. If you remember the tenses lesson earlier, 'li' and 'si' are the plural (you pl and we).
After you have finished reading the blog posts from the bottom of this page, you can check out the other tabs at the top of the site such as the formal, free Ndebele lessons. Lesson 5 is now up if you go to the lessons tab above or click here:
Ekuseni (in the morning):
Person 1: Uvukile! (Good morning, or more literally "you have woken up")
Person 2: Ngivukile, uvuke njani lawe? (Good morning, how did you sleep yourself?)
Person 1: Ngivukile, ngibuza wena (I slept well if you also slept well)
Person 2: Ngivukile (I have slept well)
Emini (in the afternoon)
Person 1: Utshonile! (Good afternoon)
Person 2: Ngitshonile, utshone njani wena? (Good afternoon, have you spent the day well yourself?)
Person 1: Ngitshonile, ngingabuza wena (I have spent it well, if you have also spent it well)
Person 2: Ngitshonile (I have spent it well)
Person 1: Kunjani? (How are you?)
Person 2: Ngiyaphila, kunjani? (I am fine (healthy), how are you?)
Person 1: Ngiyaphila (I am fine)
People may say 'linjani' instead of 'kunjani' when talking to one person. To this you would reply "siphilile' instead of 'ngiphilile'. If you remember the tenses lesson earlier, 'li' and 'si' are the plural (you pl and we).
After you have finished reading the blog posts from the bottom of this page, you can check out the other tabs at the top of the site such as the formal, free Ndebele lessons. Lesson 5 is now up if you go to the lessons tab above or click here:
thank you so much, i really wish i could learn more.
ReplyDeleteIts a beautiful language I'm Loving it already
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