Basic Nouns

1. Amanzi

   Water

   Usage

   Ask for drinking water; pair it with “bottle” if you want sealed water

   Grammar Note

   "Amanzi" is a class 6 noun with no singular. Zulu nouns carry a class prefix.

2. Ukudla

   Food

   Usage

   The general word for food; useful when hunting for somewhere to eat

   Grammar Note

   "Ukudla" is a class 15 verbal noun meaning both "eating" and "food."

3. Imali

   Money

   Usage

   The base word for paying and changing currency

4. Indlu yangasese

   Toilet

   Usage

   Combine it with the “where” question

5. Ithishu

   Tissue

   Usage

   Many toilets have no paper — use this word to buy some

   Grammar Note

   A loan from English "tissue"; the plural is "amathishu."

6. Umuthi

   Medicine

   Usage

   At a pharmacy; combine it with gestures for your symptom

   Grammar Note

   A class 3 (um-) noun; the plural is "imithi."

7. Impahla

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking in, carrying on, or reporting lost bags

8. Ukhiye

   Key

   Usage

   At hotel reception when collecting or returning it

   Grammar Note

   A class 1a (u-) noun; the plural is "okhiye" (class 2a).

9. Ithikithi

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both transport tickets and admission tickets

10. Iphasiphothi

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, currency exchange, and any police check

11. Ifoni

    Phone

    Usage

    When you need to borrow one or ask for a number

    Grammar Note

    "Ifoni" is a loan from English "phone." The older word "ucingo" originally meant "wire" and referred to landlines.

12. Ishaja

    Charger

    Usage

    To borrow one at a hotel or café, or buy one in a shop

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English "charger."

13. Isiteshi

    Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

14. Isibhedlela

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

15. Amaphoyisa

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents; combine it with “where?”

    Grammar Note

    A class 6 plural used for the police as a body; one officer is "iphoyisa."

16. Isitolo

    Shop

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy something

17. Ikamelo

    Room

    Usage

    Use it when asking a hotel about vacancies

18. Umgwaqo

    Road

    Usage

    The base word when asking the way

19. Umndeni

    Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic; showing photos goes a long way

20. Igama

    Name

    Usage

    For introductions and for giving your name at a counter

21. Ikhanda

    Head

    Usage

    Point at the card and at your own head to show where it hurts

22. Amehlo

    Eyes

    Usage

    A class 6 plural meaning both eyes; the singular is "ihlo"

23. Indlebe

    Ear

    Usage

    For earache or trouble hearing

24. Impumulo

    Nose

    Usage

    For a blocked nose or a nosebleed

25. Umlomo

    Mouth

    Usage

    For pain or sores inside the mouth

26. Izinyo

    Tooth

    Usage

    For toothache; the plural "teeth" is amazinyo

27. Umphimbo

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat, at a pharmacy or a clinic

28. Intamo

    Neck

    Usage

    For a stiff or painful neck

29. Ihlombe

    Shoulder

    Usage

    For shoulder pain, or to point out where you want a massage

30. Isandla

    Hand

    Usage

    For an injured hand; the plural is izandla

31. Ingalo

    Arm

    Usage

    For an injured arm. Zulu keeps arm and hand as separate words

32. Umunwe

    Finger

    Usage

    For an injured finger; the plural is iminwe

33. Isifuba

    Chest

    Usage

    For chest pain or tightness — the anatomical chest

34. Isisu

    Stomach / belly

    Usage

    The key word for stomach trouble — it is inside "umuthi wesisu" (stomach medicine)

35. Umhlane

    Back

    Usage

    For back pain

36. Ukhalo

    Waist / lower back

    Usage

    For pain around the waist, lower than umhlane

37. Idolo

    Knee

    Usage

    For a painful or injured knee; the plural is amadolo

38. Umlenze

    Leg

    Usage

    The leg as a whole — distinct from unyawo, the foot

39. Unyawo

    Foot

    Usage

    For an injured foot or ankle; the plural is izinyawo

40. Isikhumba

    Skin

    Usage

    For showing a rash, an insect bite or sunburn to a pharmacist

41. Umzimba

    Body

    Usage

    The base word for how your body feels overall

42. Ithambo

    Bone

    Usage

    Show it with the painful spot when you suspect a fracture

43. Igazi

    Blood

    Usage

    The base word for tests, transfusion and bleeding

44. Ihhotela

    Hotel

    Usage

    Works as a taxi destination

45. Isikhumulo sezindiza

    Airport

    Usage

    A taxi destination — literally "landing place of aircraft"

46. Isitobhi sebhasi

    Bus stop

    Usage

    Point at it when asking where the bus stops

47. Isiteshi samaphoyisa

    Police station

    Usage

    Show it as a destination when you need to report a theft; "amaphoyisa" is the police

48. Ikhemisi

    Pharmacy

    Usage

    For finding somewhere to buy medicine — signs in South Africa often read Pharmacy in English

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