Emergency

37 phrases · Zulu with romanization, English and audio

  1. Siza! Ngidinga usizo!

    Si-za! Ngi-di-nga u-si-zo!

    Help! I need help!

    Usage

    Used loudly in an emergency to call for help

    Grammar Note

    "Siza!" alone is a powerful cry for help. Repeat loudly in emergencies.

  2. Shayela amaphoyisa!

    Sha-ye-la a-ma-phoy-i-sa!

    Call the police!

    Usage

    Used to demand someone call the police in a dangerous situation

    Grammar Note

    "Shayela" means "to phone/call"; "amaphoyisa" is borrowed from Afrikaans "polisie". | South Africa emergency numbers: police 10111, ambulance and fire 10177. From a mobile you can also dial 112 (MTN, Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom) and an operator routes you to the nearest service. South Africa has no single unified emergency number, so the number depends on what you need. 10111 is free from a landline but charged at normal rates from a mobile.

  3. Ngidinga udokotela ngokushesha

    Ngi-di-nga u-do-ko-te-la ngo-ku-she-sha

    I need a doctor urgently

    Usage

    Used in a medical emergency. South Africa's ambulance number is 10177, or 112 from a mobile.

    Grammar Note

    "udokotela" borrows from English "doctor". "ngokushesha" is an adverbial phrase meaning "quickly/urgently".

  4. Ngilahlekile. Angazi ukuthi ngikuphi.

    Ngi-la-hle-ki-le. A-nga-zi u-ku-thi ngi-ku-phi.

    I am lost. I don't know where I am.

    Usage

    Used when lost and asking someone nearby for help

    Grammar Note

    "-lahlekile" is the perfect of "lahleka" (to get lost). Zulu perfect tense adds "-ile" to the verb stem.

  5. Ngishaywe yimoto

    Ngi-sha-ywe yi-mo-to

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Used to describe a traffic accident to first responders or bystanders

    Grammar Note

    Zulu passive is formed by inserting "-w-" into the verb stem. "shaya" (to hit) → "shaywe" (was hit).

  6. Imali yami yebiwe

    I-ma-li ya-mi ye-bi-we

    My money has been stolen

    Usage

    Used to report theft of money or belongings to police or bystanders

    Grammar Note

    "Imali" (money) is the subject; Class 9 concord y- joins the passive perfect "-ebiwe" of "-eba" (steal), yielding "yebiwe" (has been stolen)

  7. Kunomlilo! Phumani!

    Ku-no-mli-lo! Phu-ma-ni!

    Fire! Get out!

    Usage

    Used to warn people about a fire and tell them to evacuate

    Grammar Note

    "phumani" is the plural imperative of "phuma" (to exit). The "-ni" suffix marks plural commands

  8. Ngidinga iwadi yesibhedlela

    Ngi-di-nga i-wa-di ye-si-bhe-dle-la

    I need the hospital ward

    Usage

    Used at a hospital when emergency admission to a ward is needed

    Grammar Note

    "isibhedlela" means "hospital" in Zulu. "ye-" is the isi-class possessive connective

  9. Nginesisu esibuhlungu kakhulu

    Ngi-ne-si-su e-si-bu-hlun-gu ka-khu-lu

    I have a very bad stomach ache

    Usage

    Used to describe severe stomach pain to a doctor or pharmacist

    Grammar Note

    "isisu" means "stomach". "esibuhlungu" is "buhlungu" (painful) with "esi-" subject concord for isi-class nouns

  10. Ngidinga umtholampilo nezinsizakalo eziphuthumayo

    Ngi-di-nga um-tho-lam-pi-lo ne-zin-si-za-ka-lo e-zi-phu-thu-ma-yo

    I need a clinic and emergency services

    Usage

    Used in a medical emergency to request both a clinic and ambulance services

    Grammar Note

    "Umtholampilo" means clinic; "izinsizakalo eziphuthumayo" is the public-service term for emergency services, and conjunction na- combines with izi- as nezi-

  11. Yeka!

    Stop it!

    Usage

    Show it firmly to persistent touts or scammers — this is not meant to be softened

  12. Ungangithinti!

    Do not touch me!

    Usage

    Show it without speaking when someone crowds you

  13. Ngishiye ngedwa!

    Leave me alone!

    Usage

    For being followed. It is a blunt thing to say, and meant to be

  14. Isela

    Thief

    Usage

    The key word when reporting a theft — it also turns heads

  15. Umlilo!

    Fire!

    Usage

    Raises the alarm for a fire — "umlilo" is fire itself

  16. Ukuphanga

    Robbery

    Usage

    Point to this to report being robbed by force; for plain theft use "isela"

  17. Ukuthumba

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    Point to this to report that someone has been abducted

  18. Ukubulala

    Murder

    Usage

    Point to this to report to the police or bystanders that someone has been killed

  19. Ibhomu

    Bomb

    Usage

    Point to this to report a suspicious object or an explosive device

  20. Isela! Bambani!

    I-se-la! Ba-mba-ni!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Shout this right after a theft to get bystanders to act; it asks for more than the plain word "Isela"

    Grammar Note

    “bamba”: to catch. The plural imperative of bamba follows Isela. With no object concord, no object noun-class agreement is needed. The ending -ani marks a plural imperative. Examples: Phumani!

  21. Isiteshi samaphoyisa sikuphi?

    I-si-te-shi sa-ma-phoy-i-sa si-ku-phi?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Ask where the police station is, for example when you need to file a report

    Grammar Note

    Isiteshi is class 7, so the location question agrees as sikuphi, also with Isiteshi samaphoyisa. Class 9 ikuphi cannot be used here. The same class 7 agreement appears in Isibhedlela siseduze?. Examples: Isiteshi sibhasi sikuphi?; Isiteshi samaphoyisa.

  22. Ingabe kukhona umuntu okhuluma isiJapane?

    I-nga-be ku-kho-na u-mu-ntu o-khu-lu-ma i-si-Ja-pa-ne?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Ask at a hospital or a police station whether anyone there speaks Japanese

    Grammar Note

    Ingabe kukhona ...? asks about existence. Okhuluma is a class 1 relative agreeing with the head noun umuntu. Verb + language follows Uyakhuluma isiNgisi?, here using isiJapane.

  23. Lo muntu uqulekile

    Lo mu-ntu u-qu-le-ki-le

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Point at the person who has collapsed and say that they are not conscious

    Grammar Note

    The demonstrative pattern is lo + noun. Umuntu is class 1 with subject concord u-. “quleka”: to faint, to swoon. Examples: lo muthi; Umuntu uyakhuleka …

  24. Umuntu uyaminza!

    U-mu-ntu u-ya-mi-nza!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Shout this to say that someone has gone under; use it only at the water's edge, where the situation is visible

    Grammar Note

    The Umuntu uya- + verb frame. Umuntu is class 1 with subject concord u-. “minza”: to drown. Examples: Umuntu uyakhuleka phambi kokulala.

  25. Umuntu ungishayile

    U-mu-ntu u-ngi-sha-yi-le

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Tell the police or a doctor that you were assaulted; literally "a person hit me"

    Grammar Note

    Umuntu is class 1 with subject concord u-. “-ngi-”: object concord "me". “shaya”: to hit, to strike, to beat. In Ngishaywe yimoto the same verb is passive. Examples: Umuntu uyakhuleka phambi kokulala; Ungangithinti!; Ngishaywe yimoto.

  26. Umuntu ungigwazile

    U-mu-ntu u-ngi-gwa-zi-le

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Say that you were stabbed; literally "a person stabbed me". Point at the wound

    Grammar Note

    The frame of Umuntu ungishayile with the stem gwaza. “gwaza”: to stab, to slaughter. Ukugwaza also names a fishing method.

  27. Ikamelo lami ligqekeziwe

    I-ka-me-lo la-mi li-gqe-ke-zi-we

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Tell the hotel or the police that your room was entered and robbed while you were out

    Grammar Note

    Ikamelo lami li- is class 5 agreement. The passive suffix is -iwe; a class 9 subject takes y-. “gqekeza”: to burgle, to break into. Examples: Ikamelo lami linomsindo omkhulu; Imali yami yebiwe; Lapho kutholakala ukuthi kugqekeziwe (when it emerged that there had been a break-in).

  28. Lowo muntu ngumsolwa

    Lo-wo mu-ntu ngu-mso-lwa

    That person is the suspect

    Usage

    Point at the person and tell the police; the demonstrative is the distal one, for someone away from you

    Grammar Note

    Attach copulative ngu- to the noun. The demonstrative precedes it: class 1 distal lowo, proximal lo. Lo points beside the speaker, so "that person" takes lowo. “umsolwa”: class 1 noun: a suspect, the person to blame. Examples: Ubuntu ngumuntu ngabantu; lo muthi; lowo muntu; umsolwa ubhekene namacala.

  29. Umuntu ungikhohlisile

    U-mu-ntu u-ngi-kho-hli-si-le

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Say that you have been cheated or scammed; literally "a person deceived me"

    Grammar Note

    The same frame as Umuntu ungishayile and Umuntu ungigwazile. “khohlisa”: to cheat, con, deceive, defraud, swindle. Examples: Ungangikhohlisi (do not deceive me).

  30. Ngikhohlwe impahla yami

    Ngi-kho-hlwe i-mpa-hla ya-mi

    I left my belongings behind

    Usage

    Say that you left your luggage behind; point at a map or gesture to show where

    Grammar Note

    Impahla yami is a class 9 phrase with the possessive yami. “khohlwa”: to forget, overlook (passive derivation of khohla). Examples: Impahla yami ayifikanga okwamanje.

  31. Kunengozi yemoto!

    Ku-ne-ngo-zi ye-mo-to!

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Report that a road accident has happened

    Grammar Note

    Existential Ku-na- + noun fuses with the next vowel: ku+na+umlilo → kunomlilo; ku+na+ingozi → kunengozi. Yemoto is the class 9 possessive (ya+imoto). Ushone engozini yemoto means "he died in a car accident". Examples: Kunomlilo!; Ingozi.

  32. Phumani ngokuphuma okuphuthumayo!

    Phu-ma-ni ngo-ku-phu-ma o-ku-phu-thu-ma-yo!

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    Tell the people around you to leave through the emergency exit, for example in a fire

    Grammar Note

    The imperative Phumani! is followed by Ukuphuma okuphuthumayo (emergency exit), marked with instrumental nga-. Nga+ukuphuma fuses to ngokuphuma.

  33. Qaphela! Ingozi!

    Qa-phe-la! I-ngo-zi!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    Shout this to warn of immediate danger

    Grammar Note

    “Qaphela”: imperative "watch out". “Ingozi”: danger. Ingozi follows Qaphela. Examples: Qaphela amaza! (watch out for the waves)

  34. Sheshani!

    She-sha-ni!

    Please hurry

    Usage

    Tell someone to hurry, for example while waiting for an ambulance or a taxi

    Grammar Note

    “shesha”: to be fast, quick, in a hurry. The same stem as ngokushesha. The ending -ani marks a plural imperative. Examples: Ngidinga udokotela ngokushesha (I need a doctor urgently); Phumani!

  35. Woza manje!

    Wo-za ma-nje!

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Ask someone on the phone to come immediately

    Grammar Note

    “Manje”: now. Woza is the irregular imperative of -za (to come). Examples: song title “Woza Friday”.

  36. Kuphuthumayo!

    Ku-phu-thu-ma-yo!

    It's an emergency

    Usage

    Say that you cannot wait your turn and need attention now

    Grammar Note

    Phuthuma is the stem in Ukuphuma okuphuthumayo and izinsizakalo eziphuthumayo. Here ku- refers to a situation rather than a noun of a particular class. Examples: Kunomlilo!; Ukuphuma kuyenzeka nini?

  37. Ngicela ungiyise esibhedlela

    Ngi-ce-la u-ngi-yi-se e-si-bhe-dle-la

    Please take me to a hospital

    Usage

    Ask a taxi driver or a bystander to take you to a hospital

    Grammar Note

    Ngicela ungi- + verb is a request frame. “-ngi-”: object concord "me". Esibhedlela is a locative form. Examples: Ngicela ungisize ngalokhu; Ngicela ungitshele; Ukulaliswa esibhedlela.

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