Zulu Grammar

Question 1

How do you make a present tense sentence in Zulu?

Answer 1

Zulu is an agglutinative language. Phrases are glued together into one word. You need:

subject or concord + verb +object or completion

sub: I (ngi)
verb: like (thanda)
obj: sweets (amaswidi)

ngi+thanda amaswidi

ngithanda amaswidi

they (ba)
cook (pheka)
meat (inyama)

ba+pheka inyama

bapheka inyama

Question 2

How do you make a present tense sentence in Zulu without an object?

Answer 2

You need to use a present tense marker: ya

sub: you (s) (u)
marker: are (ya)
verb: eating (dla)

u+ya+dla

uyadla (you are eating)

Question 3

Is there another use for the word “ya?”

Answer 3

Yes. “Ya” is the present tense marker but it is also the word you use every time you want to say that you are going to a place.

I am going to Durban
ngiya eThekwini

We are going to school
siya esikoleni

He is going to the hospital
uya esibhedlela

You can see that there is no other verb that follows the “ya” in the sentence structure… it functions as the verb.

Question 4

When should I use the word “hamba” which means to go?

Answer 4

You only use “hamba” when no destination is given but you now have to use “ya” as the present tense marker because there is no object.

They are going
bayahamba