12 Common Ndebele Verbs You Should Know

You need to know verbs to describe an action or narrate a story. 

The Ndebele language comes with a lot of verbs for actions that include eating, drinking, pouring, jumping, bowing, praying, clapping hands, running, stopping, waiting, etc. The list is endless… 

However, some verbs are used more often than others. For example, people talk about cooking, eating, bathing, and walking every single day. 

But mostly we don’t talk about things like scrubbing, climbing, or forgiving all the time. If you just began learning isiNdebele, get to know these 12 common verbs first:

  1. Wake up
  2. Run
  3. Go
  4. Wait
  5. Hurry up
  6. Sleep 
  7. Come back
  8. Bath
  9. Cook
  10. Get out
  11. See
  12. Open

1. Vuka: Wake Up

The verb ‘To wake up’ is ‘Ukuvuka’ in Ndebele. And if you want to give the instruction ‘Wake up’ you simply say ‘Vuka.’ If you’re addressing two or more people, say ‘Vukani.’

How to Use ‘Vuka’ in Ndebele Sentences

Here are X simple Ndebele sentences describing the act of waking up. Practice saying them out loud, it will help you remember them.

  1. Uvuke nini?: When did you wake up?
  2. Ngivuke ekuseni: I woke up in the morning.
  3. Ubaba kakavuki : Dad hasn’t woken up yet.
  4. Phangisa uvuke: Quickly wake up.
  5. Vuka phela: Wake up already.

How would you say, ‘Ntando has woken up,’ in Ndebele?

2. Gijima: Run

Normally when we send kids around, we ask them to run. In Ndebele, you would say, ‘Gijima.’ 

When addressing many kids, you should say ‘Gijimani.’ The verb ‘To run’ translates to ‘Ukugijima’ in Ndebele.

How to Use ‘Gijima’ in Ndebele Sentences

Here’s how we talk about running in isiNdebele:

  1. USiya uyagijima: Siya is running.
  2. Abantwana bayagijima: The children are running.
  3. Gijima uye ezitolo: Run to the shops.
  4. Ugijimela ngaphi?: Where are you running to?
  5. Ngibone uSinenhlanhla egijima: I saw Sinenhlanhla running.

Now, how would you say, ‘I will run’?

3. Hamba: Go

The verb ‘To go’ is ‘Ukuhamba’ in Ndebele. Let’s practice using it in sentences below:

How to Use ‘Hamba’ in Sentences

  1. Uhamba lobani?: Whom are you going with?
  2. Ngihamba lomama: I am going with mum.
  3. Hamba khathesi: Go now.
  4. Ngizahamba kusasa: I will go tomorrow.
  5. Ngizahamba ngemota: I will go by car.


Question: How do you say, ‘I will go by bus’ in Ndebele?

4. Mana: Wait

In Ndebele, if you wanted to ask someone to wait, you would simply say, ‘Mana’. If talking to many people, say ‘Manini’.

Using ‘Mana’ In Ndebele Sentences

  1. Mana khonapho: Wait there.
  2. Mana sibone: Wait, let’s see.
  3. Mana ngibone: Wait, let me see.
  4. Mana kancane: Wait a bit.
  5. Mana futhi: Wait again.

Many kids learn this commonly used Ndebele verb ‘Mana’ early because it’s so easy to pronounce.

5. Phangisa: Hurry Up

You’re impatient. You need the person you’re going with to hurry up. Just say ‘Phangisa’ to that person or ‘Phangisani’ if it’s two or more people. Ukuphangisa means to be quick in Ndebele.

Talking About Hurrying Up in Ndebele

Here’s how you use the verb ‘Ukuphangisa’ in Ndebele conversations:

  1. Phangisa sihambe: Hurry up and let’s go
  2. Thuba loMtha, phangisani: Thuba and Mtha, hurry up
  3. Ngizaphangisa ukufika: I’ll arrive quickly

6. Lala: Sleep

To sleep = Ukulala in Ndebele. This is one of the easiest verbs to pronounce and remember. If you wanted to instruct someone to say, sleep! you’d simply say, ‘Lala!’

How to Describe Sleep in Ndebele

Let’s use the verb ‘Ukulala’ in simple sentences:

  1. Hamba uyelala: Go and sleep.
  2. Ugogo ulele: Grandma is sleeping
  3. Ulaleleni?: Why are you sleeping?
  4. Unana kalali ebusuku: The baby doesn’t sleep at night.
  5. Lami angilali ebusuku: Me too, I don’t sleep at night.

Question for you: How would you say, ‘Grandpa is sleeping,’ in Ndebele?

7. Phenduka: Come Back

If you want to say ‘come back’ in Ndebele, say ‘Phenduka’.

How to Use ‘Phenduka’ in Ndebele Conversations

  • Come back to me is, Phenduka kimi.
  • Come back later is, Phenduka mbayimbayi.
  • Darling come back would be,  Phenduka sithandwa.

Don’t confuse Phenduka with Buyela which means, go back.

Let’s test your Ndebele proficiency: How would you ask the question, ‘When are you coming back?’

8. Geza: Bath

Geza means bath/ take a bath. To many people, you would say, Gezani. Of course, there are many different instances when you would want to talk about bathing in Ndebele. Here are a few:

How to Use ‘Geza’ in Ndebele Speech

  1. Umalume uyageza: Uncle is bathing
  2. USimphiwe uyathanda ukugeza: Simphiwe loves to bath
  3. Uzageza nini?: When will you bath?
  4. Mina ngigezile: I bathed
  5. Mina angigezanga: I didn’t bath

9. Pheka: Cook

The verb to cook is ‘ukupheka’ in Ndebele. The simple instruction, ‘Cook’ will be ‘Pheka’. If you wanted to say, Go and cook, you’d say, ‘Hamba uyepheka’

Talking About Cooking in Ndebele

Let’s translate the sentence ‘I’m cooking XYZ ’ into Ndebele:

  1. Ngipheka ukudla (I’m cooking food).
  2. Ngipheka inyama (I’m cooking meat).
  3. Ngipheka inyama yembuzi (I’m cooking goat meat).

How would you say, I’m cooking cow meat, in Ndebele?

10. Phuma: Get Out

It’s quite rude to say it as a single word, but in Ndebele, you say, ‘Phuma’ when telling someone to get out. To two or more people, you would say ‘Phumani.’

How to Use ‘Phuma’ in Ndebele Speech

Let’s explore more sentences using the verb To Get Out—Ukuphuma.

  • Phuma phandle: Go outside
  • Ngiyaphuma khathesi: I’m coming out now
  • Phuma sihambe: Come out and let’s go

11. Bona: See

Ukubona means ‘to see.’ Ngiyabona means ‘I see.’ Here’s how you would say, I see this or that in Ndebele:

How to Use ‘Bona’ in Ndebele Conversations

  1. Ngibona inkazana encane: I see a small girl.
  2. Ngibona umfana omkhulu: I see a big boy.
  3. Ngibona umfazi: I see a woman.
  4. Ngibona umfazi omuhle: I see a beautiful woman.
  5. Ngibona abafazi: I see women.

How would you say, I see a pretty girl, in Ndebele?

12. Vula: Open

The verb to open is ‘Ukuvula’ in Ndebele. Let’s use it in sentences for practice:

How to Use ‘Vula’ in Ndebele Sentences

  1. Vula umnyango Open the door
  2. Vula igabha Open the tin
  3. Vula igedi Open the gate

Answers to Questions Asked During the Lesson

  1. Ntando has woken up: UNtando sevukile.
  2. I will run: Ngizagijima.
  3. I will go by bus: Ngizahamba ngebhasi.
  4. Grandpa is sleeping: Ukhulu ulele.
  5. When are you coming back: Uzaphenduka nini?
  6. I’m cooking cow meat: Ngipheka inyama yenkomo.
  7. I see a pretty girl: Ngibona inkazana enhle.

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