Zulu/Exercise/Lesson 3

Welcome to the exercises related to Lesson 3.

Click "▼" to check your answers.

How long have you been working for? edit

How would you respond to: (Assume for these questions that your name is Zipho Mtembu and that you're a student in Cape Town in your 3rd year. But you come from Johannesburg. You are 23 years old. Your brother works at Crispy Chicken as a cook. Your mother is a nurse. Your sister is teacher.)

Uneminyaka emingaki usebenza?
Cha, ngiyafunda.
Cha, ngiyafunda.
Uneminyaka emingaki ufunda?
Ngineminyaka eng-3 ngifunda.
Ngineminyaka eng-3 ngifunda.
Wena uphumaphi?
(Mina) ngiphuma eGoli.
(Mina) ngiphuma eGoli.
Isibongo satho ngubani?
Isibango sami uMtembu
Isibango sami uMtembu
Ngihlala kuphi?
Sawubona mntwana!
Sawubona mntwana!
Ungubani?
NginguZipho.
NginguZipho.
Wena unjani?
Ngikhona/ ngisaphila/ ngiyaphila.
Ngikhona/ ngisaphila/ ngiyaphila.
Ubhuti wakho usebenzaphi?
Ubhuti wami/Yena usebenza eCrispy Chicken.
Ubhuti wami/Yena usebenza eCrispy Chicken.
Uneminyaka emingaki ubudala?
Ngineminyaka engu-23.
Ngineminyaka engu-23.
Usisi wakho ungunesi?
Cha, usisi wami/ yena unguthisha.
Cha, usisi wami/ yena unguthisha.
Ubhuti wakho wenza msbenzi muni?
Ubhuti wami/ yena ungumpheki.
Ubhuti wami/ yena ungumpheki.


Age and Where do you... edit

Translate the following Zulu sentences into English:

Ngifunda eGoli.
I study in Johannesburg.
I study in Johannesburg.
Wena Uneminyaka emingaki ubudala?
How old are you/ (How many years do you have since birth)?
How old are you/ (How many years do you have since birth)?
Sihlala eNaturena.
We stay in Naturena.
We stay in Naturena.
Yena usebenza kuphi?
Where does he/she work?
Where does he/she work?
Yena uphuma eMeliki.
He/She comes from America.
He/She comes from America.
Umyeni wami usebenzela iNedbank.
My husband works for Nedbank.
My husband works for Nedbank.

Translate the following English sentences into Zulu:

How long have you been working for?
(Wena) uneminyaka emingaki usenbenza?
(Wena) uneminyaka emingaki usenbenza?
My name is Simon Hlope.
NginguSimon wakwaHlope.
NginguSimon wakwaHlope.
The teacher is coming from school.
Uthisha uphuma esikoleni
Uthisha uphuma esikoleni
We come from South Africa.
(Thina) siphuma eNingizimu Afrika.
(Thina) siphuma eNingizimu Afrika.
Where do you all stay?
(Nina) nihlalaphi/ nihlala kuphi?
(Nina) nihlalaphi/ nihlala kuphi?
I have studied for three years.
(Mina) ngineminyaka engu-3 ngifunda.
(Mina) ngineminyaka engu-3 ngifunda.

Odd one out:

Which one of the following is not a correct sentence: Uthisha uphuma esikoleni; Ngisebenzela eCrispy Chicken; Bona bahlala eNaturena; Yena uphuma eMelika.
Ngisebenzela eCrispy Chicken. (e cannot be used with sebenzela)
Ngisebenzela eCrispy Chicken. (e cannot be used with sebenzela)
Which of these nouns is not a possible family member: umama; umkhulu; usisi; umkandi; ubhuti.
umkandi (repairman).
umkandi (repairman).


Dialogue edit

Try translating the following dialogue:

uSipho: Sawubona Njabulo!
Sipho: Hello Njabulo!
Sipho: Hello Njabulo!
uNjabulo:Yebo, sawubona Sipho. Unjani?
Njabulo: Hello Sipho! How are you?
Njabulo: Hello Sipho! How are you?
uSipho: Ngiyaphila, Wena unjani?
Sipho: I'm alive, how are you?
Sipho: I'm alive, how are you?
uNjabulo: Nami ngisaphila.
Njabulo: I'm still alive.
Njabulo: I'm still alive.
uSipho: Uneminyaka emingaki ubudala?
Sipho: How old are you?
Sipho: How old are you?
uNjabulo: Ngineminyaka engu-48. Uneminyaka engu-17?
Njabulo: I am thirty two. Are you seventeen?
Njabulo: I am thirty two. Are you seventeen?
uSipho: Cha, Ngineminyaka engu-16 ubudala!
Sipho: No, I am sixteen years old!
Sipho: No, I am sixteen years old!
uNjabulo: Ubaba wakho usebenza kuphi?
Njabulo: Where does your father work?
Njabulo: Where does your father work?
uSipho: Yena usenbenza eFNB. Usenbenzaphi?
Sipho: He works at FNB. Where do you work?
Sipho: He works at FNB. Where do you work?
uNjabulo: Ngisebenza eNaturena kodwa ngiphuma eThekwini. Ufundaphi?
Njabulo: I work in Naturena but I'm from Durban. Where do you study?
Njabulo: I work in Naturena but I'm from Durban. Where do you study?
uSipho: Ngifunda eParktown Boys.
Sipho: I learn at Parktown Boys.
Sipho: I learn at Parktown Boys.
uNjabulo: Umama wakho uyasebenza na?
Njabulo: Does your mother work?
Njabulo: Does your mother work?
uSipho: Yebo, yena ungunesi.
Sipho: Yes, she's a nurse.
Sipho: Yes, she's a nurse.
uNjabulo: Sala kahle!
Njabulo: Stay well (Goodbye)
Njabulo: Stay well (Goodbye)
uSipho: Hamba kahle!
Sipho: Go well (Goodbye)!
Sipho: Go well (Goodbye)!

Next step edit

  • If you would like, review this lesson: Lesson 3
  • Otherwise, continue to the next lesson: Lesson 4