Monday, 6 April 2009

Can you identify the various combinations in the words below?

1.isethekeli 2.nampa 3.azolitshela
4.engingaziqambanga 5.sibongwa 6.bangakini

1.amafitshane 2.ezithwala 3.nsuku 4.sesibubula
5.luhlupho 6.ikhefu 7.singalimala 8.ubuhlungu

1.kubazalwane 2.ehlukeneyo 3.bavumela 4.icebo
5.ababezamela 6.amaqembu 7.ingcebethu 8.ubudlelwano

1.isigaba 2.laphaya 3.lolodubo 4.ezidingekayo
5.ezingedlula 6.engqondweni 7.okunathwayo 8.sengomile

1.zingavalwa 2.umtshado 3.umnawakhe 4.sizakhapha 5.esontweni 6.izithembiso

1.abalabokazi 2.etafuleni 3. imihlobo
4.izimbodlela 5.iminala 6.ececisileyo 7.bebambene 8 qunga

1.ezisetshenziswayo 2.lezihlobo 3.kayiduli
4.sibuzane 5.kulumonakulo 6. inombolo

1.ungaqeda 2.ngiphupha 3.kusetshenzwa 4.kuyazophiswana 5.usika 6.sizasiswa

1.ifundwa 2.ukubumba 3.ebantwini 4.ukuthiya 5.ukuzingela 6.ungayanga 7.ejabulile

Saturday, 4 April 2009

Two letters and a vowel

  1. cha che chi cho chu
  2. dla dle dli dlo dlu
  3. dwa dwe dwi dwo dwu
  4. gqa gqe gqi gqo gqu
  5. gwa gwe gwi gwo gwu
  6. hla hle hli hlo hlu
  7. kha khe khi kho khu
  8. mfa mfe mfi mfo mfu
  9. mna mne mni mno mnu
  10. mpa mpe mpi mpo mpu
  11. mva mve mvi mvo mvu
  12. nca nce nci nco ncu
  13. nda nde ndi ndo ndu
  14. nga nge ngi ngo ngu
  15. nja nje nji njo nju
  16. nka nke nki nko nku
  17. nqa nqe nqi nqo nqu
  18. nsa nse nsi nso nsu
  19. nta nte nti nto ntu
  20. nwa nwe nwi nwo nwu
  21. nxa nxe nxi nxo nxu
  22. nya nye nyi nyo nyu
  23. nza nze nzi nzo nzu
  24. pha phe phi pho phu
  25. qha qhe qhi qho qhu
  26. qwa qwe qwi qwo qwu
  27. sha she shi sho shu
  28. tha the thi tho thu
  29. xha xhe xhi xho xhu

The five vowels ( a e i o u ) are key

Every word in Ndebele contains one or more vowels. Simple sounds are made from combining one letter and a vowel. See below and have fun!


  1. ba be bi bo bu
  2. ca ce ci co cu
  3. da de di do du
  4. fa fe fi fo fu
  5. ga ge gi go gu
  6. ha he hi ho hu
  7. ja je ji jo ju
  8. ka ke ki ko ku
  9. la le li lo lu
  10. ma me mi mo mu
  11. na ne ni no nu
  12. pa pe pi po pu
  13. qa qe qi qo qu
  14. sa se si so su
  15. ta te ti to tu
  16. va ve vi vo vu
  17. wa we wi wo wu
  18. xa xe xi xo xu
  19. ya ye yi yo yu
  20. za ze zi zo zu

Monday, 23 March 2009

Ukwakha amabala

Did you know that Ndebele words are made from combining different letters of the English alphabet? The most fascinating thing about the language are the clicking sounds made when pronouncing certain letters such as Q, C, X. In the Ndebele language all the letters of the alphabet are used except for the letter R. Lets have fun with the sounds to start with. An MP3 file is attached

yours
Aunty Clem

a e i o u

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