Zulu overview

Free Zulu starter kit — 60 phrases you can print

A one-page Zulu cheat sheet for absolute beginners. Every phrase shows the Zulu spelling, what it means, and a respelling with the stressed syllable in capitals so you can say it out loud today. South Africa, with speakers in Eswatini, Lesotho and Zimbabwearound 12 million first-language speakers.

First words

Say hello the Zulu way

  • SawubonaHello (to one person)/sa-woo-BO-na/
  • SanibonaniHello (to many)/sa-nee-bo-NA-nee/
  • NgiyabongaThank you/ngee-ya-BON-ga/
  • Hamba kahleGoodbye (go well)/HAM-ba KAH-shleh/
  • YeboYes/YEH-bo/
  • ChaNo/chah/
  • NgicelaPlease/ngee-CHEH-la/
  • UxoloSorry/oo-KLO-lo/

Free starter kit

Get all 60 Zulu phrases

Enter your email and the full printable Zulu starter kit opens right here — every phrase, meaning and pronunciation respelling. We'll also send one short daily phrase so it actually sticks. Unsubscribe from any email.

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Is Zulu hard to learn?

  • c, q and x spell three different clicks — cha (no) starts with a dental click, not a ch sound.
  • hl is a breathy side-of-the-tongue sound, so kuhlanu (five) is nothing like English hl.
  • Verbs carry the subject as a prefix: ngiyabonga is literally I-am-thanking.