Instructions
This is an oral activity guide to do with your child. The goal is to make learning isiNdebele fun and interactive. Use a happy, encouraging voice. Repeat words and phrases often. Use gestures, point to objects, and turn the learning into a game. There are no right or wrong answers, only practice!
Ingxenye 1: Ukubingelela (Greetings)
Umsebenzi (Activity): Say the greeting to your child and have them repeat it back to you. Use a friendly wave to make it more engaging. Practice this at different times of the day.
- Adult says: Sawubona (Hello)
- Child repeats: Sawubona
- Adult asks: Unjani? (How are you?)
- Child repeats: Unjani?
- Adult answers: Ngiyaphila (I am fine)
- Child repeats: Ngiyaphila
- Adult says: Sala kahle (Goodbye / Stay well)
- Child repeats: Sala kahle
Ingxenye 2: Izinyamazana (Animals)
Umsebenzi (Activity): Say the name of the animal clearly. Ask the child to repeat the name and then make the animal's sound. You can pretend to be the animals together!
- Adult says: Inja. What does the inja say? (Woof woof!)
- Child repeats: Inja
- Adult says: Ikati. What does the ikati say? (Meow!)
- Child repeats: Ikati
- Adult says: Inyoni. What does the inyoni say? (Tweet tweet!)
- Child repeats: Inyoni
- Adult says: Indlovu. What does the indlovu do? (Stomps feet and makes a trumpet sound!)
- Child repeats: Indlovu
Ingxenye 3: Izitho Zomzimba (Body Parts)
Umsebenzi (Activity): Play a simple game. Say "Thinta..." (Touch...) followed by the body part. As you say the word, touch that part on your own body and encourage the child to touch the same part on their body.
- Adult says: Thinta ikhanda! (Touch your head!)
- Child touches their head.
- Adult says: Thinta amehlo! (Touch your eyes!)
- Child touches their eyes.
- Adult says: Thinta ikhala! (Touch your nose!)
- Child touches their nose.
- Adult says: Thinta umlomo! (Touch your mouth!)
- Child touches their mouth.
- Adult says: Thinta izandla! (Touch your hands!)
- Child touches or claps their hands.
Ingxenye 4: Imibala (Colors)
Umsebenzi (Activity): Play 'I Spy' around the room. Say "Ngibona okuthile oku..." (I see something that is...) followed by the color name. Help the child look around and point to an object of that color.
- Adult says: Ngibona okuthile okubomvu. (I see something red.)
- Child finds something red.
- Adult says: Ngibona okuthile okuluhlaza. (I see something blue.)
- Child finds something blue.
- Adult says: Ngibona okuthile okuphuzi. (I see something yellow.)
- Child finds something yellow.
- Adult says: Ngibona okuthile okumnyama. (I see something black.)
- Child finds something black.
Answer Key
This key provides the English translations for the isiNdebele words used in the worksheet.
Greetings (Ukubingelela)
- Sawubona - Hello (to one person)
- Unjani? - How are you?
- Ngiyaphila - I am fine
- Sala kahle - Stay well (used when saying goodbye)
Animals (Izinyamazana)
- Inja - Dog
- Ikati - Cat
- Inyoni - Bird
- Indlovu - Elephant
Body Parts (Izitho Zomzimba)
- Thinta - Touch
- Ikhanda - Head
- Amehlo - Eyes
- Ikhala - Nose
- Umlomo - Mouth
- Izandla - Hands
Colors (Imibala)
- Ngibona okuthile oku... - I see something that is...
- Okubomvu - Red
- Okuluhlaza - Blue (Note: can also mean green)
- Okuphuzi - Yellow
- Okumnyama - Black