If you're trying to learn Zulu Verbs which is also called isiZulu, check our courses about Verbs in the present past and future tense... to help you with your Zulu grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Zulu. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Zulu Verbs is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you master it the more you get closer to mastering the Zulu language. But first we need to know what the role of Verbs is in the structure of the grammar in Zulu.
Zulu verbs are words that convey action (bring, read, walk, run), or a state of being (exist, stand). In most languages a verb may agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object. Here are some examples:
| English Verbs | Zulu Verbs |
|---|---|
| Verbs | Izenzo |
| Past | okudlule |
| I spoke | ngakhuluma |
| I wrote | ngabhala |
| I drove | ngashayela |
| I loved | ngathanda |
| I gave | nganikeza |
| I smiled | ngancuma |
| I took | ngathatha |
| he spoke | wakhuluma |
| he wrote | wabhala |
| he drove | washayela |
| he loved | wathanda |
| he gave | wanika |
| he smiled | wancuma |
| he took | wathatha |
| we spoke | sakhuluma |
| we wrote | sabhala |
| we drove | sashayela |
| we loved | sathanda |
| we gave | sanika |
| we smiled | sancuma |
| we took | sathatha |
| Future | Ikusasa |
| I will speak | ngozokhulma |
| I will write | ngizobhala |
| I will drive | ngizoshayela |
| I will love | ngizothanda |
| I will give | ngizonika |
| I will smile | ngizoncuma |
| I will take | ngizothatha |
| he will speak | uzokhuluma |
| he will write | uzobhala |
| he will drive | uzoshayela |
| he will love | uzothanda |
| he will give | uzonika |
| he will smile | uzoncuma |
| he will take | uzothatha |
| we will speak | sizokhuluma |
| we will write | sizobhala |
| we will drive | sizoshayela |
| we will love | sizothanda |
| we will give | sizonika |
| we will smile | sizoncuma |
| we will take | sizothatha |
As you can see from the example above, the structure of the Verbs in Zulu has a logical pattern. Locate the Verbs above and see how it works with the rest of the sentence in isiZulu.
Below is a list of the conjugated Verbs in the present past and future in Zulu placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Zulu vocabulary.
| English Verbs | Zulu Verbs |
|---|---|
| Present | Okwamanje |
| I speak | Ngiyakhuluma |
| I write | ngiyabhala |
| I drive | ngiyashayela |
| I love | ngiyathanda |
| I give | ngiyanika |
| I smile | ngiyancuma |
| I take | ngiyathatha |
Verbs in the present past and future tense have a very important role in Zulu, therefore they need very special attention. Once you're done with the isiZulu Verbs, you might want to check the rest of our Zulu lessons here: Learn Zulu. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
