Grammar

Syntax

Zulu has an SVO word order. However, it is pro-drop, and only the verb is required in a sentence. The subject and optionally the object are marked in the verb, so frequently, sentences will lack the subject and/or object.

Nouns

Nouns in Zulu are all part of one of 14 noun classes. The noun class of a noun is marked by a prefix on the noun. To make the noun plural, the noun class is changed to its plural counterpart. Therefore, most noun classes come in pairs of singular/plural. A table of the noun classes is shown below.

Locatives:

Zulu has a few locative affixes that attach to nouns or pronouns and mean “in/to/from [noun]”. One of them is the prefix ku-. This locative prefix is used for class 1, 1a, 2, and 2a nouns, as well as pronouns.

Another locative affix is the circumfix e-...-eni/-ini. This is used for nouns of other noun classes than those covered by ku-. This affix can sometimes trigger palatalization, which makes a labial consonant (b, p, bh, ph, m) become a palatal consonant (tsh, j, sh, ny).

Pronouns:

Zulu has a set of personal pronouns as well as a pronoun for each noun class. All the pronouns consist of a combining stem followed by the suffix -na. This suffix does not mean anything, and when other affixes are attached to a pronoun, the -na suffix drops. The personal pronouns (with the suffix -na) are shown below.

Possessives:

Possessives are formed by attaching a possessive prefix to a noun or pronoun. The possessive prefix attaches to the possessor and agrees in noun class with the possessed.

Verbs

Verbs are the most complex word class in Zulu. The basic structure of a verb is subject-tense-object-root-suffixes. All verbs must have a suffix after the root, and the default, meaningless suffix is -a. The infinitive of a verb is formed by using the class 15 prefix uku-. The present tense is either unmarked or with the tense prefix -ya- which goes in the tense slot of the verb paradigm. The past tense uses the prefix -a- in the same slot. To form the negative of the past tense, the negative prefix a- is attached to the very front of the verb, and instead of the tense prefix -a-, the negative past tense suffix -anga is used.

A few other affixes:

• zi-: This is the reflexive prefix that goes in the object slot of the verb paradigm. It means to do something to oneself.
• -ile: This is the stative suffix. It is hard to explain, but as an example of its meaning, it turns a verb meaning “to die” into a verb meaning “to be dead”.
• -an: This is the reciprocal suffix. It goes before the final suffix of the verb and means to do something to each other.
• -is: This is the causative suffix and means to cause someone to do something. It goes before the final suffix.
• nga-: This is the potential prefix (it goes in the tense slot) and means might, may, or would.
• sa-: This prefix goes in the tense slot and can be translated as “still” as in “I am still eating”.

Modifiers

Adjectives:

Adjectives can be used attributively (the white house) or copulatively (the house is white). They agree with the thing they are modifying and they follow it. The only difference between using an adjective attributively or copulatively is that the prefix used is different.

Relatives:

Relatives are like adjectives, but they are formed out of verbs. A verb can be made relative by attaching the suffix -yo at the very end of the verb. Once it is relative, a relative agreement prefix is attached to the front of the relative that agrees with the thing being modified.