Airport & Customs

1. Ngicela ubonise iphasiphothi yakho

   Ngi-ce-la u-bo-ni-se i-pha-si-pho-thi ya-kho

   Please show your passport

   Usage

   Standard phrase used by immigration officers

   Grammar Note

   Zulu follows SVO word order

2. Iyini injongo yovakasho lwakho?

   I-yi-ni in-jon-go yo-va-ka-sho lwa-kho?

   What is the purpose of your visit?

   Usage

   Standard immigration question

   Grammar Note

   "Iyini" = what is

3. Uzohlala ubusuku obungaki?

   U-zo-hla-la u-bu-su-ku o-bun-ga-ki?

   How many nights are you planning to stay?

   Usage

   Commonly asked at immigration

   Grammar Note

   "-ngaki" (how many) agrees with the noun class; ubusuku (night, class 14) takes "obungaki". "uzohlala" = you will stay

4. Ingabe unento okufanele uyimemezele?

   In-ga-be u-nen-to o-ku-fa-nele u-yi-me-me-ze-le?

   Do you have anything to declare?

   Usage

   Asked at customs

   Grammar Note

   "Unento" = do you have something

5. Impahla yami ayifikanga okwamanje

   Im-pa-hla ya-mi a-yi-fi-kan-ga o-kwa-man-je

   My luggage hasn't arrived

   Usage

   Tell baggage claim staff

   Grammar Note

   "impahla" (luggage) is a class 9 noun. The negative past prefixes a- to the subject concord and ends in -anga: ayifikanga = has not arrived

6. Leli ibhegi eliphethwe ngesandla

   Le-li i-bhe-gi e-li-phe-thwe nge-sand-la

   This is carry-on luggage

   Usage

   Tell airline staff at check-in or boarding gate

   Grammar Note

   "Sandla" = hand

7. Ngisendleleni yokudlulela

   Ngi-send-le-le-ni yo-ku-dlu-le-la

   I'm in transit

   Usage

   Used at transit counters or immigration

   Grammar Note

   "Ukudlulela" = passing through

8. Liphi isango?

   Li-phi i-san-go?

   Where is the gate?

   Usage

   Ask when looking for your boarding gate

   Grammar Note

   The question word "-phi" (where) agrees with the noun class; isango (gate, class 5) takes "liphi"

9. Ukugibela kuqala nini?

   U-ku-gi-be-la ku-qa-la ni-ni?

   When does boarding begin?

   Usage

   Ask while waiting at the boarding gate

   Grammar Note

   The question word "nini" (when) comes last. "ukugibela" (to board) is a class 15 infinitive, so the verb agrees with ku-: kuqala = begins

10. Siphi isitolo esingenantela?

    Si-phi i-si-to-lo e-si-nge-nan-te-la?

    Where is the duty-free shop?

    Usage

    Ask after clearing security

    Grammar Note

    "intela" (tax) is a class 9 noun. isitolo (shop) is class 7, so both the question word and the relative agree with class 7: siphi ... esingenantela (which has no tax)

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