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Zulu to Swahili translation

Most translation tools route Zulu through English before they reach Swahili, which is where the meaning goes missing. SemaSoma translates the pair directly and hands back a pronunciation guide with every result.

Zulu to Swahili: everyday phrases

Phrases that appear in both the Zulu and Swahili courses, lined up side by side with the English meaning so you can check the match.

  • NgiyabongaAsante
    Thank you/ah-SAN-teh/
  • YeboNdiyo
    Yes/n-DEE-yo/
  • ChaHapana
    No/ha-PA-na/
  • NgicelaTafadhali
    Please/ta-fa-DHA-lee/
  • UxoloPole
    Sorry/PO-leh/
  • Igama lami ngu-AmaraJina langu ni Amara
    My name is Amara/JEE-na LAN-goo nee a-MA-ra/
  • NgikhonaNiko mzuri
    I am fine/NEE-ko m-ZOO-ree/
  • AmanziMaji
    Water/MA-jee/
  • UkudlaChakula
    Food/cha-KOO-la/
  • UmnganeRafiki
    Friend/ra-FEE-kee/
  • ImaketheSoko
    Market/SO-ko/
  • Ngifuna amanziNataka maji
    I want water/na-TA-ka MA-jee/
  • AngiqondiSielewi
    I don't understand/see-eh-LEH-wee/
  • KunyeMoja
    One/MO-ja/
  • KubiliMbili
    Two/m-BEE-lee/
  • KuthathuTatu
    Three/TA-too/
  • KuhlanuTano
    Five/TA-no/
  • IsithuphaSita
    Six/SEE-ta/
  • IshumiKumi
    Ten/KOO-mee/
  • IsinkwaMkate
    Bread/m-KA-teh/
  • InyamaNyama
    Meat/NYA-ma/
  • UmamaMama
    Mother/MA-ma/
  • UbabaBaba
    Father/BA-ba/
  • InganeMtoto
    Child/m-TOH-toh/
  • UmndeniFamilia
    Family/fa-MEE-lee-a/
  • UmfaziMke
    Wife/m-KEH/
  • UmyeniMume
    Husband/MOO-meh/
  • NamuhlaLeo
    Today/LEH-oh/
  • KusasaKesho
    Tomorrow/KEH-shoh/
  • IzoloJana
    Yesterday/JA-na/
  • ManjeSasa
    Now/SA-sa/
  • EkuseniAsubuhi
    Morning/a-soo-BOO-hee/
  • EbusukuUsiku
    Night/oo-SEE-koo/
  • UsukuSiku
    Day/SEE-koo/
  • UbisiMaziwa
    Milk/ma-ZEE-wa/
  • ItiyeChai
    Tea/CHA-ee/
  • NgilambileNina njaa
    I am hungry/NEE-na n-JAA/
  • UmgwaqoNjia
    Road/n-JEE-a/
  • IndluNyumba
    House/NYOOM-ba/
  • KwesokunxeleKushoto
    Left/koo-SHOH-toh/

What to know before you translate

About Swahili

Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congoaround 200 million, mostly as a second language. Writing system: Latin alphabet, spelled close to how it sounds.

  • Nouns fall into classes, and the class changes the start of related words — mtu (person) becomes watu (people).
  • Stress almost always lands on the second-to-last syllable, which makes reading aloud predictable.
  • Greetings are a small ritual: habari expects a reply of nzuri before anything else happens.

About Zulu

South Africa, with speakers in Eswatini, Lesotho and Zimbabwearound 12 million first-language speakers. Writing system: Latin alphabet, including the letters c, q and x for click sounds.

How accurate is it?

Translations are produced by an AI model, so treat long or legal text as a draft and check it with a speaker. Short everyday sentences — greetings, directions, family talk — are where it is strongest, and the pronunciation guide is written for English readers. Lesson audio is AI pronunciation audio, not a recording of a native speaker.