Bhasaly › Learn Xhosa › Phrases
Xhosa phrases for a short visit
UtyeleloThe lines a visitor actually uses, and the ones you will hear back. Romanized first so you can say them today. Every phrase is recorded — tap the speaker to hear it.
Hear these phrases →First words
The ones that open every door
Greet BEFORE anything — a request without molo lands rudely. Nearly everyone also speaks English; your isiXhosa buys warmth, not survival, and even clumsy clicks earn real delight.
| MAW-law | hello (to one person) | molo |
| mawl-WEH-nee | hello (to several people) | molweni |
| oon-JAH-nee | how are you? | Unjani? |
| ndee-yah-PEE-lah | I am fine | ndiyaphila |
| ndee-KHAW-nah | I am okay | ndikhona |
| ehn-KAW-see | thank you | enkosi |
| oo-XAW-law | sorry · excuse me | uxolo |
| EH-weh | yes | ewe |
| HAH-yee | no | hayi |
Everyone is family
Address people and doors open
Elders are mama and tata, peers are bhuti and sisi — the address IS the politeness system. There is no everyday please-word; respect rides on how you call someone.
| MAW-law MAH-mah | hello, madam | Molo mama |
| MAW-law TAH-tah | hello, sir | Molo tata |
| ehn-KAW-see SEE-see | thank you, sis | Enkosi sisi |
| oo-XAW-law BHOO-tee | excuse me, bro | Uxolo bhuti |
| BHOO-tee | bro (any young man) | bhuti |
| SEE-see | sis (any young woman) | sisi |
Meeting someone
The first minute, in isiXhosa
Your name and where you are from will be asked within a minute — answer and ask back. It is connection, not interrogation, and it usually ends in an invitation.
| ee-GAH-mah LAH-kaw ngoo-BAH-nee | what is your name? | Igama lakho ngubani? |
| oon-goo-BAH-nee | who are you? | Ungubani? |
| ndee-yah-VOO-yah oo-koo-KWAH-zee | nice to meet you | Ndiyavuya ukukwazi |
| oo-VEH-lah PEE | where are you from? | Uvela phi? |
| ndee-VEH-lah peh-SHEH-yah | I am from overseas | Ndivela phesheya |
| oo-TEH-tah ee-see-XHAW-sah | do you speak Xhosa? | Uthetha isiXhosa? |
| ndee-sah-FOON-dah | I am still learning | Ndisafunda |
What you will hear
Meant kindly — answer warmly
Uya phi? from a stranger on the road is friendliness, not nosiness. Wamkelekile — you are welcome — is what every host says at the door, and means it.
| OO-yah PEE | where are you going? (a greeting) | Uya phi? |
| koon-JAH-nee | how is it going? | Kunjani? |
| wahm-keh-leh-KEE-leh | you are welcome here | Wamkelekile |
| YEE-zah AH-pah | come here | Yiza apha |
| oo-TEH-tah oo-koo-TEE-nee | what do you mean? | Uthetha ukuthini? |
| HAHM-bah kah-KOO-hleh | go well (said to you, leaving) | hamba kakuhle |
| SAH-lah kah-KOO-hleh | stay well (you say it, leaving) | sala kakuhle |
Numbers & rands
One to ten, and the till
Prices come in English or isiXhosa, cents never — listen for leerandi, rands. Counting to ten at a market stall is worth more than exact change.
| EE-nyeh | one | inye |
| zeem-BEE-nee | two | zimbini |
| zeen-TAH-too | three | zintathu |
| ZEE-neh | four | zine |
| zeen-TLAH-noo | five | zintlanu |
| zeen-tahn-DAH-too | six | zintandathu |
| see-XHEN-xeh | seven | sixhenxe |
| see-BAW-zaw | eight | sibhozo |
| lee-TAW-bah | nine | lithoba |
| lee-SHOO-mee | ten | lishumi |
| lee-SHOO-mee leh-eh-RAHN-dee | ten rand | lishumi leerandi |
| yee-mah-LEE-nee | how much is it? | Yimalini? |
The minibus taxi
How South Africa moves
Hail with a hand sign for your route, pay by passing coins forward, and call your stop — Yima! or the English Short left! Every route begins at the rank.
| ee-TEHK-see | the minibus taxi | iteksi |
| ee-REHN-kee | the taxi rank | irenki |
| NDEE-yah eh-daw-law-PEE-nee | I am going to town | Ndiya edolophini |
| NDEE-yah eh-KAH-pah | I am going to Cape Town | Ndiya eKapa |
| ndee-HAHM-bah ngeh-TEHK-see | I go by taxi | Ndihamba ngeteksi |
| YEE-mah | stop! | Yima! |
Finding the way
Lost — briefly
Nobody leaves a lost stranger lost — expect a walked escort, not just pointing. Name where you are going, or show it on your phone, and ask.
| ndee-lah-hleh-KEE-leh | I am lost | Ndilahlekile |
| oo-yah-YAH-zee een-DLEH-lah | do you know the way? | Uyayazi indlela? |
| ndee-CEH-lah oon-CEH-daw | please help me | Ndicela uncedo |
| koo-FOO-pee | near | kufuphi |
| KOO-deh | far | kude |
| AH-pah | here | apha |
| PAH-yah | over there | phaya |
Eating & the braai
Where the language tastes best
A shisanyama is a braai spot — buy meat, they grill it, the tables are shared. Kumnandi! (delicious!) is the highest compliment a cook can hear.
| ndee-lahm-BEE-leh | I am hungry | Ndilambile |
| ndee-nxah-NEE-weh | I am thirsty | ndinxaniwe |
| ndee-CEH-lah ah-MAHN-zee | may I have water | Ndicela amanzi |
| oo-KOO-tyah | food | ukutya |
| ee-SAWN-kah | bread | isonka |
| ee-NYAH-mah | meat | inyama |
| ee-shee-sah-NYAH-mah | braai place | ishisanyama |
| koom-NAHN-dee | it is delicious! | Kumnandi! |
| HAH-yee ehn-KAW-see | no thank you | hayi enkosi |
Being a guest
You will be fed — accept
Guests are fed, full stop — refusing everything reads as rejection. Eat something, praise it, and say Ndihluthi enkosi only when you truly cannot go on.
| mah-SEE-tyeh | let us eat (you will hear it) | Masitye |
| ndee-HLOO-tee ehn-KAW-see | I am full, thank you | Ndihluthi enkosi |
| ndaw-nwah-BEE-leh | I am happy | ndonwabile |
| ndee-yah-boo-LEH-lah | I give thanks (the deep one) | Ndiyabulela |
| saw-baw-NAH-nah | see you (at the gate) | sobonana |
| saw-baw-NAH-nah NGAWM-saw | see you tomorrow | Sobonana ngomso |
The spaza & the till
Corner-shop isiXhosa
The spaza is the home-run corner shop, open when nothing else is. Prices are fixed there and at tills — bargain at market stalls only, with a smile.
| ee-SPAH-zah | spaza shop | ispaza |
| yee-mah-LEE-nee LEH | how much is this one? | Yimalini le? |
| oo-NAH-yaw ee-sweh-KEE-leh | do you have sugar? | Unayo iswekile? |
| ndee-NAH-yaw | I have it (you will hear) | Ndinayo |
| ahn-dee-NAH-yaw | I do not have it (you will hear) | Andinayo |
| NAHN-tsee ee-MAH-lee | here is the money | Nantsi imali |
| ee-TSHEEN-tshee | change | itshintshi |
| ee-yah-DOO-rah | it is expensive | iyadura |
When things go wrong
The rescue kit
Andiqondi plus Thetha kancinci rescue any conversation. For anything medical ask for ikliniki — the clinic is the front door of healthcare everywhere.
| ahn-dee-QAWN-dee | I do not understand | andiqondi |
| TEH-tah kahn-CEEN-cee | speak slowly | Thetha kancinci |
| oo-TEH-tah oo-koo-TEE-nee | what do you mean? | Uthetha ukuthini? |
| ndee-yah-GOO-lah | I am sick | ndiyagula |
| ee-klee-NEE-kee | the clinic | ikliniki |
| oo-GQEE-rah | doctor | ugqirha |
| oom-BAH-neh | electricity (when it goes: load-shedding) | umbane |
Staying in touch
Friends, not contacts
Sobonana — we will see each other — is the goodbye between friends. Swap numbers, send a voice note in isiXhosa, and you have made a friend, not a contact.
| ee-faw-WOO-nee | phone | ifowuni |
| ehn-KAW-see kah-KOO-loo | thank you very much | Enkosi kakhulu |
| hahm-BAH-nee kah-KOO-hleh | go well, all of you | Hambani kakuhle |
| mah-see-TEH-teh ee-see-XAW-sah | let us speak Xhosa | Masithethe isiXhosa |
| ndee-zah koo-HAHM-bah NGAWM-saw | I am leaving tomorrow | Ndiza kuhamba ngomso |
| ndaw-nwah-BEE-leh eh-KAH-pah | I have been happy in Cape Town | Ndonwabile eKapa |
Ask where anything is
Where is ___?
| ee-vehn-KEE-leh EE-pee | Where is the shop? | ivenkile iphi? |
| ee-REHN-kee EE-pee | Where is the taxi rank? | irenki iphi? |
| ee-klee-NEE-kee EE-pee | Where is the clinic? | ikliniki iphi? |
| een-DLEH-lah EE-pee | Where is the way? | indlela iphi? |
| ee-daw-LAW-poo EE-pee | Where is the town? | idolophu iphi? |
Ask if you can walk it
Is ___ near?
| ee-vehn-KEE-leh ee-koo-FOO-pee | Is the shop near? | ivenkile ikufuphi? |
| ee-REHN-kee ee-koo-FOO-pee | Is the taxi rank near? | irenki ikufuphi? |
| ee-klee-NEE-kee ee-koo-FOO-pee | Is the clinic near? | ikliniki ikufuphi? |
| ee-daw-LAW-poo ee-koo-FOO-pee | Is the town near? | idolophu ikufuphi? |
Ask for anything politely
May I have ___?
| ndee-CEH-lah ah-MAHN-zee | May I have water? | Ndicela amanzi |
| ndee-CEH-lah EE-tee | May I have tea? | Ndicela iti |
| ndee-CEH-lah ee-KAW-foo | May I have coffee? | Ndicela ikofu |
| ndee-CEH-lah ee-SAWN-kah | May I have bread? | Ndicela isonka |
| ndee-CEH-lah oon-CEH-daw | May I have help? | Ndicela uncedo |
Say where you are headed
I am going ___
| NDEE-yah eh-daw-law-PEE-nee | I am going to town | Ndiya edolophini |
| NDEE-yah eh-KHAH-yah | I am going home | Ndiya ekhaya |
| NDEE-yah eh-vehn-kee-LEH-nee | I am going to the shop | Ndiya evenkileni |
| NDEE-yah eh-see-kaw-LWEH-nee | I am going to the school | Ndiya esikolweni |
| NDEE-yah eh-KAH-pah | I am going to Cape Town | Ndiya eKapa |
Common questions
How do you say hello in Xhosa?
Maw-law. The greetings section above has the full set, including the reply you are likely to hear back.
Do I need an account to use these Xhosa phrases?
No. Every phrase on this page is open to read, and you can hear all of them in Bhasaly without signing up.
Do I need to read the Xhosa script to use these?
No. Every line is romanized first, so you can say it straight away. The script is there alongside if you want to start reading it.
Learn another language
Bhasaly teaches under-served Asian and African languages.