Everything below is what a beginner actually needs first: greetings, polite words, numbers, family, food, time and getting around. Each entry shows the Shona spelling, the English meaning, and a respelling with the stressed syllable in capitals so you can say it out loud without guessing.
First words Greet someone and be polite
Mhoro Hello Ndatenda Thank you Mauya Welcome Chisarai Goodbye Hongu Yes Kwete No Ndapota Please Ndine urombo Sorry Meeting people Introduce yourself and ask how someone is
Zita rangu ndinonzi Amara My name is Amara Zita rako ndiani? What is your name? Makadii? How are you? Ndiripo I am fine Mvura Water Chikafu Food Shamwari Friend Imba House Counting Numbers one to five and market basics
Poshi One Piri Two Tatu Three Ina Four Shanu Five Imarii? How much is it? Musika Market Mvura Water Ndinoda kutenga I want to buy Questions people ask about Shona Is Shona hard to learn? Spelling is highly regular — words are read exactly as written. Every syllable ends in a vowel, so pronunciation is even and rhythmic. Greetings change depending on how many people you are addressing. Where is Shona spoken? Zimbabwe, with speakers in Mozambique and Zambia — around 15 million. Writing system: Latin alphabet.
Can I learn Shona for free? Yes. This phrasebook is free to read, and SemaSoma gives you the first three units of the course plus 15 translations a day before anything is paid.