Angry

Angry (adj)
-thukuthele, -nolaka

Umama wami ubengithukhuthelele ngokushiya indlu yogungezela imahlaphahlapha.
My mother was angry with me for leaving the bathroom in a mess.

I love:
the grammar lesson in the word: ubengithukuthelele
and the word
imahlaphahlapha - how perfect for a mess?

but
having to call a bathroom
indlu yogugenzela
(a tongue twister!)
is a but much.

Anger (n)
intukuthelo
ulaka -fierce temper
(igwebu, also provided by isizulu.net, seems otherwise to mean 'froth')

Ulaka lwakhe lozumbulala.
His fierce temper will kill him.

vocabulary from isizulu.net
izibonelo from isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

-qinile (to be fit, strong)

-qinile (static verb)

to be firm, hard, solid, stiff, strong
to be physically fit
to be headstrong, stubborn, obdurate, pigheaded, stubborn

a word for teenage boys? 
;)

also (I'm finding some more translation sites)
tough, sturdy - wordhippo

uqinile - be strong
hlala uqinile - stay strong
hlale uqinile
mymemory.translated.net 

From a news report  on Zim soccer legend Peter "Nsukuzonke" Ndlovu being discharged from hospital:

“Uqinile wena mfana (you are a strong man) after all that happened. We commend your family for remaining strong and supportive especially Madinda,” said Dr Mpofu. Said Peter in response: “Yini elingiqinisayo mdala. You are one of the people who make me strong,” he said laughing. (nehandaradio.com)

"Nsukuzonke" - every day

A lovely sentence fom isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary:

Uyamethemba uMokohlane lona, kakhulukazi ngoba useyindoda eqinile, futhi enomusa.

You trust this Mokohlane, especially because he is now a man who is strong and kind too.

“Uqinile wena mfana (you are a strong man) after all that happened. We commend your family for remaining strong and supportive especially Madinda,” said Dr Mpofu. Said Peter in response: “Yini elingiqinisayo mdala. You are one of the people who make me strong,” he said laughing.

“Uqinile wena mfana (you are a strong man) after all that happened. We commend your family for remaining strong and supportive especially Madinda,” said Dr Mpofu. Said Peter in response: “Yini elingiqinisayo mdala. You are one of the people who make me strong,” he said laughing.

“Uqinile wena mfana (you are a strong man) after all that happened. We commend your family for remaining strong and supportive especially Madinda,” said Dr Mpofu. Said Peter in response: “Yini elingiqinisayo mdala. You are one of the people who make me strong,” he said laughing.

-banzi (wide)

-banzi (adj)
wide

ububanzi (n)
width, breadth

Isibonelo:

Olunye uphawu lokhozi wukuthi lunamaphiko abanzi.

Another feature of the eagle is that it has broad wings.

(see a very odd one at the bottom of the post)

In names:

Ubanzi, Lubanzi are given names. What is the significance of this name?

On the Wild Coast, Lubanzi Village, and Backpacker 
which having discovered, I feel much drawn to visit.


Lubanzi wine, named after a dog, Lubanzi, who walked for six days with two American hikers along the Wild Coast.

Canis Africanis, is known in isiZulu/isiXhosa as iBanzi according to this blog.
 

Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, a play by Athol Fugard
in which a man, Sizwe Banzi has to give up his name and identity to survive in apartheid times of South Africa
Sizwe - Nation
Banzi - Wide
surely referring to the universality of the character and his experiences.

(So far the only example sentence I've been able to obtain from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary is an example of the weirdness one can encounter there among user-submitted contents.

Lapha sisho abantu abanezidingo ezithile, isibonelo, labo abadinga ukufakelwa iminyango ebanzi ezindlini zabo.

Here we mean people who have certain needs, for example those for whom wider doors need to be installed in their homes.)

Memeza!

-memeza
shout, call out

Kwezwakala umuntu ememeza ethi, "Iyasha indlu! Iyasha indlu kwa Mthombeni!"
A person was heard shouting, "A house is burning! A house is burning at Mthombeni!"

Brenda Fassie's song Memeza, title song of her 1997 album:
listen here on youtube.

Lyrics

Bangitholile (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Abanganaxolo (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Bangikhomba (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Ngezibhamu nemikhontho (memeza ma, memeza ma)

Bangitholile (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Abanganaxolo (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Bangikhomba (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Ngezibhamu nemikhontho (memeza ma, memeza ma)

Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
akusizi lutho (memeza ma, memeza ma)
yimi nabo (memeza ma, memeza ma)
yiminabo nkosiyami (memeza ma, memeza ma) (repeat x2)

Chorus
Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Akusizi lutho (repeat x2)

Bangitholile (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Abanganaxolo (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Bangikhomba (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Ngezibhamu nemikhontho (memeza ma, memeza ma) (repeat x2)

Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
akusizi lutho (memeza ma, memeza ma)
yimi nabo (memeza ma, memeza ma)
yiminabo nkosiyami (memeza ma, memeza ma) (repeat x2)

Chorus
Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Noma ngingamemeza ma (memeza ma, memeza ma)
Akusizi lutho (repeat x2)

Lyrics from www.letssingit.com

Example from isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Biza

-biza
call, summon
or
call (something/someone/oneself), name; -biza nokuthi

Izibonelo
Yebo ndodana, ubizwe yimina.
Yes, my son, you have been summoned by me.

Bambiza nokuthi uSipho.
They call him Sipho.
 
also
-biza
cost (I guess - calls for a price)

Amathikithi umculo abiza ama-R100 ngalinye.
Tickets for the concert cost R100 each. 

Vocab and examples from isizulu.net and the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary.

Help - Siza

help (v)

-siza, -nceda, -hlenga, -bambisa

to get helped
-sizeka

help (n)
usizo, uncedo


Abazali bangasiza, kepha isikhole sikhuthaza ukuthi abazenzele ngokwabo amaphrojekthi.
Parents may help, but the school encourages (learners) to do their own projects.

abazenzele: let them do for themselves
ngokwabo: by themselves/on their own

Given names:
Siza, Hlengiwe, Sizeka

vocabulary from isizulu.net
example from isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Ubusuku - night

night (n)
ubusuku

at night
ebusuku
ngobusuku

good night
lale kahle, ulale kahle (sleep well)
lalani kahle, nilale kahle (pl)

A search for the word 'busuku' on google brought me:

This beautiful acapella song, sung by a group of Zambian gospel singers. Whether or not one subscribes to any religion, the power of composition and song to express longing, comfort, and beauty present in the human spirit is present in this video.

'Busuku Obuhle' - Beautiful Night is the isiZulu version of 'Silent Night' (the group above is singing something different as far as I can understand). 

And, Busuku is also a surname. One person carrying this name is the young poet Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese. Some of her moving poems can be found on this web page.

PS I wonder if anyone can help me understand why 'oluhle' and 'obuhle' are used in these two expressions - what is the difference that changes the prefix?

Ube nosuku oluhle
Have a beautiful day

Busuku obuhle
Beautiful night

Say

say
-thi, -sho, -khuluma

to say in fun
-fenqa

Izibonelo:

Uthi uzobe ela khona maduze.
She says she'll be here soon.

Ake sithi usuku lwethu lwemakethe luveza ama-R5000.
Let's say our market day brings in R5000.

Gcina

How did I come across this word? Can't remember, but it struck a chord, as it is the name of South Africa's most famous storyteller, Gcina Mhlope.

First I only saw this meaning

-gcina
stop, come to an end
also
get completed or finished

and thought she may have been the last child, and perhaps she was.
But a more likely meaning for a name, and relevant to her work

-gcina
keep, preserve, save, store
take care of, look after
glue, stick

UZodwa uyakwazi ukugcina izimfihlo zabantu.
Zodwa is able to keep peoples' secrets.

and another mysterious example from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary:
UMvubu yena uthi wagcina ebangeni lesihlanu.
Mvubu, on the other hand, says he stopped in Grade 5.

Here is a video of Gcina telling a story. Only the beginning, but she is a joy to behold and hear.

Themba - hope

-themba
hope, trust
or transitively
have faith in, have trust in

Ngithemba ukuthi ngizolithola ithuba.
I trust that I will find the opportunity.

Ngithemba uNkulunkulu.
I have faith in God.

A given name, Themba.

The huge suburb/former township called Tembisa was originally
Thembisa, promise

(-thembisa
cause to hope
encourage, enthuse, motivate
assure, promise)


Thembisa/Tembisa was part of the complex world of racial and ethnic segregation created under Apartheid, and far from erased. Also now the largest former township, after Soweto.
For some the move there represented loss, for others, some hope. Tembisa later became an area of focused political action and violent conflict.
SAhistory.org.za hosts a fascinating portal its history:
http://www.saha.org.za/tembisa/establishment_of_tembisa.htm

Konje - by the way, so

konje
by the way, so then, well, then
incidentally

Konje, a marten is also called a konje.

Kodwa - but, however, only

kodwa
but, however, yet, nevertheless

Ngethembe kodwa.
Neverthless, believe me.

Kodwa wabuye wakhumbula udadewabo uBhazebele.
However, he remembered again (returned to the memory of) his sister, Bhazebele.

kodwa
only

Yilokhu kodwa engikufunayo.

It's only this that I want.

Izibonelo

Collection of sentences including some learnt words, from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary, and elsewhere.

Umcimbi uzoqala ngehora lesikhombisa kusihlwa.

The function will start at 7 o'clock in the evening.

We went out for dinner the other night.

Sahamba sayokudla isidlo sakusihlwa ngobunye ubusuku.

Buya

-buya
return, come back, go back
return from

or, return to, as in
buyelekhaya
to return home

with root word, -ya, to go

Wabuya e-London engasakwazi ukukhuluma isiZulu.
He returned from London no longer knowing how to speak Zulu.

a related noun
imbuya, izimbuya
amaranth, a highly nutritious wild edible green/spinach
I wonder if it is called that, for the reliable way it returns each spring?

Here is a find, on youtube  Nathi's song Buyelekhaya with lyrics and translations!

The phrase 'Buyelekhaya' also has a deeper meaning and resonance of
returning to one's roots
it is the ceremony when a thwasa who has completed their training
returns home, to strongly connect with, honour and celebrate their ancestors
and establish their own healing practice

vocabulary from isizulu.net
example from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Vala - to close

-vala

close, shut

isivalo
door

Wayefuna ukuvala amehlo akhe ukuba alale kancane.
She wanted to close her eyes in order to sleep a little.

unjalo

unjalo

he, she, it, is like that; you are like that

Wonke umuntu waseGoli unjalo.
All the people from Johannesburg are like that.

Unjalo phela umsebenzi waphoyisa.
The work of a policeman is indeed like that.

And my favourite:


Wahleka nje uMpungoshe wathi, "Konje unjalo wena Mama."
Mpungose just lauged and said, "By the way, you are like that, Mother."











https://zu.oxforddictionaries.com/humusha/isizulu-isingisi/unjalo

Drum

This was a busy week.https://zu.oxforddictionaries.com/humusha/isingisi-isizulu/drum

On Monday I made a drum.

isigubhu - izigubhu
drum

a lovely sound word, the first two beats are there: gu-bhu

Besigida sishaya nezigubhu.
We were dancing and beating the drums.

isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Futhi, ukuthi

Two useful little words you'll often hear:

futhi
and (as a conjunction, joining two sentences)
also, too
additionally, furthermore
again, once more
yet

Sifuna ukudlala futhi.
We want to play again. 

Buya futhi - return again. Name of a guesthouse in St Lucia.
Futhi is also a given name.

ukuthi

from -thi
say
think, imagine, believe, consider, guess, suppose

ukuthi can be used as:
that
Ngazi ukuthi bahlala lapa.
I know that they live here.

so that, in order that
or, as
what
Angazi ukhuthi befunani.
I don't know what they want.

Kwezswakala ukuthi useshonile.
We heard that he passed away.

isizulu.net

Inyanga

I came to know the word inyanga as meaning a traditional healer; one who works with natural medicines in particular. In Zimbabwe, the word encompasses the spiritual healers we call sangomas.

Yesterday I helped make a drum which looks like the moon, and discovered the isiZulu word for both moon and month:

inyanga, izinyanga

Namhlanje inyanga ingcwele.
Today the moon is full. 

vocabulary from isizulu.net
example from the  isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Sekuhlwile

from
-hlwa
become dark, become dusk

-hlwile
be dark, be dusky, be devoid of light

sekuhlwile
it is dark
it has become dark

what a very special sound this word has

It is the title of a book Swazi folklore published by Heinemann and available here

and the title of this beautiful maskandi/gospel song by the popular band Ikhansela no Jbc
led by the late Mfhleni Rolland Mkhize.

Buyisa - bring back, respond

A word rich in meanings, -buyisa

-buyisa (v.t.)
return, bring back,give back, send back
restore
recall (call back)
withdraw, take back
 
when used without an object
-buyisa (v.i.)
vomit, puke, throw up
answer, reply, respond

Buyisa President Zuma
Buyisa Women's Leadership

The dictionary definitions for Buyisa! as imperative, an order are:
Buyisa! - Return!
or
Buyisa - Vomit

At the root of this word is
-yisa
cause to go, take to
convey, send, transfer

A song, "Buyisa", on youtube by the very sexy Ringo Madlingozi. I think the lyrics mean 'bring back the love' but will need to check.  It comes from an album of the same name.

Some rather prosaic izibonelo from isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary:

Buyisa umazisi kamfowethu!
Return my brother's ID!

Udle waze wabuyisa.
She at too much and vomited.
(That was me at my third birthday party.)

Fika - arrive

-fika (v)

arrive

ukufika (n)
arrival

Bafika sekuhlwile ekhaya.
They arrived at home when it was already home.

Bekunzima ukufika ekugcineni komqhudelwano.
It was difficult to reach the end of the competition.

Faka - include

An interesting word, -faka

-fake (v.t.)
insert, put in, put into, include
don, put on (clothes)
wear (clothers)
station, set in position

seems to come down to include/add to

faka (v.imp)
insert

Ngicela ungifake kumasidlalisane.
Can you please include me in your stokvel.

isizulu.net
isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Shiya - to leave

-shiya (v.t.)
leave, leave behind
abandon, forsake
omit, skip, leave out, miss out

Shiya - leave!

it forms the stem of two nouns:

ishiya - amashiya
eyebrow (which leaves behind the eye?)

umshiyia - imishiya
meadow
(an abandoned place?)

Ngizoshiya umculo ngigade ingane yami.
I will leave my music and look after my child.

Vula - open

-vula
 open

and also, the adjective/adverb open:
-vuliwe      (who/which is/are open)
-vulikile    (which has been opened)
-vula         (open)
-vuleleke  (open to...for example competitions/institutions being open to entrants/applicants)

and the static verb
-vuliwe
to be be open

In South African History: Operation Vula or Vulindlela
http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/members-anc-and-sacp-are-detained-due-operation-vula
http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/press-statement-anc-deputy-president-nelson-mandela-operation-vulindlela-and-indemnification-a

and in culture, Brenda Fassie's timeless performance of the wedding song, Vulindlela, 'Open the way', crowned Best Song of the Decade at the SAMAs.
Music video here

Izibonelo:

Ikamelo lakhu linesikhuthu - shiya ifasitele livuliwe kancane.
Your room smells stuffy - leave window open a bit.
(Note: khutha = carbon dioxide)


Izitolo zokudla eziningi ziyavula ngamaholidi.
Most supermarkets are open on public holidays.

 
Vocabulary from isizulu.net 
Examples from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Umntakababa - my sibling

Oxford Living Dictionary has been posting a family nomenclature as Word of the Day.

Today, it's

umntakababa
my/our brother/sister

a word I've not heard before
but one can see is made of umntwana-ka-baba, child of my father.

Thula nje wena mntakababa, mhla ngiphumayo ngizokulungisela zonke izikhalo zakho.
Be quiet, my sister, the day I leave I will resolve all your complaints for you.

Bheka

- bheka (v.t.)

view, watch, behold, look at
face, be oriented toward, be confronted by
attend, look after, supervise
anticiate, expect, wait for
go towards, head for, point to


or used in the imperative form, as an order:
Bheka


A word rich in meanings
I now recall a placename, up the coast from East London, inland
Bekabantwana, I think
Look after the children. 

Izibonelo:
Wazesula izinyembezi wabheka phansi.
She wiped her tears and looked down.

"Ngisahamba, Dumazile," kusho unina, "wena uzosala, ubheka ingane."
"I am going now, Dumazile," says her mother, "you shall remain behind and look after the child."

Ngabamba indlela ebheke eMpumalanga, ngakhabuzela ngaze ngayosithela.
I took the road that goes towards Mpumalanga, and walked briskly until I was out of sight.

Vocabulary from isizulu.net
Examples from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

They have eaten

A quick one, with some grammar.
-dla (v)
eat

A conversation with Sis'Phumla about whether the dog's had eaten led to this lesson:

zidlele
they have eaten (dogs)

udlile
he/she has eaten (person)

badlile
they have eaten (persons)

Izintja zidlile
can mean
Have the dogs eaten?
or
The dogs have eaten.
depending on using the tone of your voice to ask a question, or make a statement.

Phendula - answer, turn

-phendula (v)
answer, reply, respond
and more, see below...


impendulo (n.)
answer

Two very schoolish examples from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

Phendula yonke imibuzo esigabeni B.
Answer all the questions in section B.

Nikeza impendulo eyodwa embuzweni olandelayo.
Give one answer to the following question.
(love that word, olandelayo, like a song in itself)

as a verb,
-phendula also means
turn, turn over, turn around
alter, change, modify
convert
and also, dye
(isizulu.net)

All this reminded me of a song that was once familiar, with a refrain of 'iphendule' or 'ngiphendule'.

iphendule
he/she/it/they answer or have answered

however, by the translation in the lyrics of this song
soundtrack here
iphendule also means, as an imperative verb/order:
turn it around!


Here is the chorus, it was composed at the COP17 climate meeting in Durban, in 2012.

CHORUS


Turn it around


Drilling for energy, like you cannot see the Sun


Iphendule [‘turn it around’ in isiZulu ]


This earth belongs to everyone


Turn it around


Mining for energy, like you’ve never felt the wind


Iphendule [‘turn it around’ in isiZulu ]


Time to change so we can live

HOOK CHORUS in isiZulu
 [in English]

Jika Turn


Umhlabawethu This world is our world


Jika Turn


Masihlangane Let’s get together


Jika Turn


Umoya wethu This is our spirit


Jika Turn


Simuntumunye We are one or none

Hook chorus is great, right? The tune of this part on the soundtrack is weak, maybe someone can improve on it one day...

Finally, Iphendule is also a name, surely for a child who is an answer to prayers.

(another word for 'answer', is
-buyisa
it is only used intransitively, like 'reply'
since it has its own variety of meanings and will need a separate post)

Ukuphenduka

Ngizophenduka
- I'll return
a lesson from my maths learners.

-phenduka (v)
turn; turn over; turn round; revolve alter; change

ukuphenduka (n.15)
revolution, change

phenduka (v. imp/instruction)
turn
though here in Jozi we just say
jika

Qala - to begin

-qala
start, begin, commence, initiate, launch


qala
(imperitave noun/order)
start!


For some reason this example has me in stitches:

Kuthiwa ingxabano yaqala ngmaholide kaKhisimusi.
They say the quarrel started during the Christmas holidays.

- isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

There is also a noun form:
ukuqala (n.15)
beginning; start
the first one

and then a different (but related meaning)
umqala (n.3/4)
neck or stem

vocabulary from isiZulu.net

On the day that & a long time ago

Further to other posts on days, and the use of the word 'mhla', the following from the isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary

mhla
on the day (that), (at the time) when

And these two examples:

Waqala mhla engilanda esiteshini.

She started on the day that she fetched me from the station. (What did she start?)

This one containing a lovely phrase for staring a story:

 

Ngikhumbula loluya suku mhla enqaba ukuya esontweni ethi ngeke yena aye ngoba uMfundisi akabaphi amaswidi.

I remember that day, a long time ago, when he refused to go to church, saying he wouldn't go because the pastor doesn't offer them sweet.

loluya
(demonstrative pronoun)
that over there
or in this case, perhaps 'that distant'

isizulu.net

Tree

tree (n)
umuthi, imithi
isihlahla, izihlahla

Imhlope

Imhlophe
- it is white

Another 'igama losuku', word of the day from the Oxford Living Dictionary.

Beautiful example:

Wayilanda inyamazane leyo. Yayinone imphlophe qwa.
He went to fetch that antelope. It was fat and bright white.

Imithi imphlophe, 'white medicines', are a category of muthis associated with blessings and luck. Wonderful stuff. 

Ibomvu - it is red

The isiZulu Oxford Living Dictionary has various fun features including a word of the day, with fascinating examples (izibonelo) of its use.

Recently it gave me IBOMVU

ibomvu (v)
- they are red

Bekunemibalabala nje eminye iphuzi eminye iluhlaza eminye ibomvu.

There were different colours, some being yellow, some being green, some being red.

 ibomvu (v)
- it is red

Yathi memfu inhlamvu yeLanga ibomvu ifana negazi.

The ball of the Sun suddenly came out, red like blood.

Joke

A too-serious day... time for a joke.

joke (n)
ihlaya, amahlaya

joke (v/i)
-ncokola; -dlala (play) also
-ntela; -tekula; -soma

So, lots of ways to say 'you must be joking!'
for example
"Mhlawumbe uyadlala!"
(direct translation: perhaps you're playing/joking)

Now, all we need is a joke in isiZulu. Found this one on the isizulu.net forum, complete with translation (doesn't quite smell of roses, but that is the nature of most jokes).

PS On further reflection, I've wondereed whether to include it. It is crude, painful, and also funny, as are many jokes, across many cultures. Perhaps not for very sensitive readers. But it's part of us, a response to our world, and full of fantastically useful phrases :)

Incwadi ka thisha:
letter from the teacher:

Mzali othandekayo,
Dearest parent,

Sekungaphezu kwamandla ami! Safa iphunga, geza ingane bo! 
It's beyond my control! we are dying of the smell, wash your child!

Yimina ozithobayo,
yours sincerely,

uThisha.
the teacher.

Impendulo ka Mzali:
response from the parent:

Thisha othandekayo,
dearest teacher,

Fundisa ingane... Musa ukuyinuka, mhlathikanyoko!
teach the child... don't smell him/her, your mother's jaw!

Ngenzela nina ngoba nithandana nezingane zesikole, ukuthi ningasondeli kuyona, Zinja!
I'm doing this, since you guys date school children, so that you don't come close to him/her, dogs!

Ngokuzithoba,
sincerely,

uMzali
the parent

Mhlatikanyoko/your mother's jaw seems particularly intense - that one I'd use with care.

https://isizulu.net/
forum
https://zu.oxforddictionaries.com/

Khumbul'ekhaya

Rembember
-khumbula

Having heard a song or two with the words 'khumbula ekhaya' I looked these up and found...

* that they mean 'to miss home'

 * the TV programme (of which I've watched some episodes in the past, oblivious of the meaning of its name) in which long lost family members are reunited  http://khumbulekhaya.net.za

* this song by Gugu: Khumbul'ekhaya  - she's an artist I've not heard before, and about whom I've not been able to find out anything, though I'd love to hear more of her music

* and this lovely song by the Muffinz .
In the video, the vocalist explains why he wrote the song - his family, from Bulawayo, is spreak across the globe. The website also gives the lyrics, I suspect they are probably in isiNdebele given the musicians' Zimbabwean roots.

Finally, Black Coffee also has a 'Khumbul'ekhaya' song. While I could not find a soundtrack, the lyrics are brief and contain the phrase (in isiXhosa)  'ndifunuk'goduka' which in isiZulu would be
ngifund'uk'goduka, I think.

-goduka
go home.

Ukuphi?

The kids in my maths class decided to help me learn, and came up with the following phrase:

Uyakuphi?

From isizulu.net:

where
-phi, kuphi

whereto
ngaphi

Accordingly:
where are you? - uphi / ukuphi? (sg)
                       - niphi / nikuphi? (pl)

where are you going?  
uyaphi / uyangaphi?  (sg)
niyaphi / niyangaphi? (pl)

The children and the dictionary disagree on whether 'uyakuphi' means 'where are you'/'where are you going'. Any answer, or does it depend?

These words bring to mind songs:


Mowbray Kaap by Freshly Ground  (isiXhosa and English)
A popular one with a refrain 'Ukuphi!?" which I now can't find - any help?
Searching on google, various other songs entitled/containing 'ukuphi' or 'Ukuphi na?' came up.
Ukuphi by Tshedi

Wenzani?

Useful phrases for mothers :) 
and friends

What are you doing? - Wenzani?
What were you doing? - Wawenzani? 
What did you do? - Wenzeni?
What will you be doing? - Uzobewenzani?

Shared by Zinhle on isiZulu Lessons - Durban fb group

In the morning

in the morning
ekuseni

very early morning
ukwi

in the very early morning
mpondozankomo

I am charmed and mystified by this lovely word. Something to do with cows (izinkomo); isizul.net has impondo as handlebards and I'm wondering if that comes from the horns of cattle...
In fact 'uphondo' means 'horn' and so the word mphondozankomo seems to be a reference to the horns of the cattle that might be visible in the early hours.
If you know more, please tell me.

vocabulary from
isizulu.net

Izinsukwana - a few days

on which day of the week?
ngolwesingaki?
- good for making dates or appointments

a short day (not sure what this would refer to, but interesting to see how usuku has changed)
usukwana

(for) a few days (lots of uses for this)
izinsukwana

"on the day that " allows now for some fun phrase-building
mhla [+ part.]; ngalanga [+ part.]; ngamsuku [+ part.]

sihambe mhla befika - we left on the day that they arrived
or
sihambe ngalanga befika 

A bit more complicated, the more dramatic "on the day of"
mhla [+ p.c. kwa-]; ngalanga [+ p.c. kwa-]; ngamsuku [+ p.c. kwa-]

sihambe mhla kokufika kwabo - we left on the day of their arrival

Vocabulary and examples from isizulu.net

Day in, day out

Still on the word 'day', there are various expressions useful to storytellers.

day in, day out
mihla-namalanga

on that day
langalelo, ngalangalelo

on a certain day
langathile, langatize, nglangathile, ngalangatize

on one and the same day
langalinye, ngalangalinye

on the following day
ngomuso

Can't wait to try these, they taste good, don't they?

isizulu.net

A beautiful day

Day (n)

period of 24 hr:
usuku; umuhla

have a nice day:
ube usuku oluhle [sg]
nibe nosuku oluhle [pl]      


How would one say: This is a beautiful day?
Thank you Mbali:
Usuku oluhle, namhlanje

isizulu.net

Induduzo

Today's word

comfort v
-duduza

also, comfort n
ease - ubunethe
solace - induduzo

(isizulu.net)

It makes me think of a place called Duduza.
One is a town west of Nigel (in itself one of the most depressing places I have been to).
Duduza was created when the inhabitants of Charteston were forcibly removed in 1964, as the municipality regarded Charteston as being too close to the 'white' areas of Nigel.
When a place is created out of grief, and named Comfort. It is still a place of little comfort.

Also, I now realise that it must have been he first isiZulu word I ever heard, when my mother used to tell me to doedoe - which can only be an Afrikaans incorporation of what Zulu mothers and nannies must have said to babies.

I wish you
ubunethe
and
induduzo

That/Which/Who Spoke Us

'Khuluma' had already been taken as an address on blogspot so I tried Asikhulume - also taken but this is what I found on isizulu.net:

Asikhulume means
let us speak
also
let him speak, let her speak, let it speak, let we speak, let it speak, may we speak, may he speak, may she speak, may it speak

My favourites came further down, referring to the recent past tense
they spoke us
it spoke us

that which spoke us