Abantu Nezinto Esizaziyo
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Explain what an object concord is, and why isiZulu speakers use one instead of repeating a noun that has already been mentioned.
- Form and use object concords for people, using -m- for class 1 and -ba- for class 2.
- Form and use object concords for a small set of familiar things, using -wu- for class 3, -yi- for class 4, -li- for class 5, and -yi- for class 9.
- Place an object concord correctly inside the verb template, between the tense marker and the verb root.
- Use object concords with the present, the resultative past from Chapter 5, and the simple future from Chapter 6.
- Distinguish, in context, between a sentence that names a noun directly and a sentence that refers back to that noun with an object concord.
- Read and listen to a short passage in which speakers avoid repeating a noun by using an object concord instead.
- Write a short exchange in which you mention a specific person or thing once, then refer back to it using an object concord.
- Continue applying the concord audit habit, now checking that every object concord matches the class of the noun it replaces.
Communication Scenario
The following Monday, Zanele finds Nomvula at her desk, still holding the report Zanele mentioned the week before. Rather than naming the report again in every sentence, Zanele and Nomvula begin referring back to it, and to each other, using a short marker built into the verb itself. The same habit lets them talk about the office, a letter, and a colleague, without repeating any of these words more than once each.
- Before you begin, think, in English, about how often you say "it" or "them" instead of repeating a noun you already mentioned. Notice how naturally your English conversation avoids repetition.
- Think of one specific object, such as a report, a letter, or a message, that came up earlier in a conversation you had recently. You will practise referring back to a similar object in isiZulu by the end of this chapter.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 6 gave you the simple future, two intention formulas, and bese for sequencing future events. This chapter keeps all of that active, and adds a new tool, the object concord, which lets you refer to a specific person or thing you have already named, without repeating the noun. You will use the same work and office vocabulary from earlier chapters, now combined with present, past, and future forms that each carry an object concord.
From Chapters 1 through 6
Concord audit, familiar noun classes, infinitives, noun phrases, recent and resultative past, simple future, and intention formulas with ngifisa uku- and ngihlela uku-.
New in This Chapter
Object concords for classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9, placed inside the verb template, and used with present, past, and future forms.
Looking Forward
Chapter 8 turns to shopping, services, and transactions, where object concords let you talk naturally about items you are buying or asking about without naming them every time.
Vocabulary: Known People and Things
This chapter does not introduce a large new noun list. Instead, it returns to a small set of nouns already active from earlier chapters, since object concords only make sense once a noun has already been mentioned. Two new connecting words are introduced, to help you signal that you are referring back to something already known.
Amagama esesiwaziyo — Nouns already active
| isiZulu | English | Class |
|---|---|---|
| umuntu | person | 1 |
| abantu | people | 2 |
| umsebenzi | work, job | 3 |
| umbiko (plural: imibiko) | report | 3 / 4 |
| ihhovisi | office | 5 |
| incwadi | letter, book | 9 |
Izixhumanisi zokubuyekeza — New connecting words
| isiZulu | English | Use |
|---|---|---|
| lowo, leso, leli, lokho | that one (varies by class) | points back to a noun already named, before the object concord takes over |
| futhi | again, also | already active, now often paired with an object concord |
These demonstrative forms are presented here only for recognition, so that you can notice how a speaker points back to a noun in conversation. Their full paradigm belongs to a later chapter. The object concord itself, not the demonstrative, is the productive target of this chapter.
Pronunciation and Click Review
Object concords are short, usually a single consonant and vowel, and they sit tucked between the tense marker and the verb root. Because they are short, they are easy to swallow in fast speech. Practise saying them clearly and separately before blending them into natural speed.
Say ngiyawubona slowly, breaking it into its parts, ngi-ya-wu-bona, then say it again at a natural, connected speed. Compare it with ngiyambona, broken into ngi-ya-m-bona. Listen for the short object concord in the middle of each word, and notice how it changes the meaning from I see it, referring to the work, to I see him or her, referring to a person.
Grammar: Object Concords
7.1 What an object concord does
Purpose: refer back to a specific person or thing already mentioned, without repeating the noun.
Once a noun has been named in a conversation, isiZulu speakers usually stop repeating it. Instead, they place a short marker, called an object concord, inside the verb itself. The object concord agrees with the class of the noun it replaces, the same way a subject concord agrees with the class of a subject noun.
Object concords work like the concord audit you already practise for subjects, applied to objects instead. Before choosing an object concord, identify the noun class of the person or thing being referred to, then select the matching object concord from the table below. This is the same discipline you already use for subject concords, possessives, and demonstratives.
7.2 Object concords for classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9
| Class | Example noun | Object concord | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | umuntu | -m- | him, her |
| 2 | abantu | -ba- | them (people) |
| 3 | umsebenzi | -wu- | it (class 3) |
| 4 | imibiko | -yi- | them (class 4) |
| 5 | ihhovisi | -li- | it (class 5) |
| 9 | incwadi | -yi- | it (class 9) |
Note on scope: Only these six classes are active for productive object-concord use in this chapter. Other classes, and person object concords such as me, you, and us, remain outside this chapter's scope, and will be developed in later chapters.
- UNomvula umbonile umbiko. Uwubonile. Nomvula has seen the report. She has seen it. resultative past, class 3, object concord -wu-
- Ngizoyifunda incwadi kusasa. Ngizoyifunda. I will read the letter tomorrow. I will read it. simple future, class 9, object concord -yi-
- UZanele umbonile uNomvula ehhovisi. Zanele saw Nomvula at the office. resultative past, class 1, object concord -m-, referring to a person by name
7.3 Object concords across present, past, and future
Purpose: show that the object concord works the same way no matter which tense carries it.
An object concord does not change its form when the tense changes. Only its position, always directly before the root, stays fixed. Compare the same object concord across three tenses below.
- Ngiyawubhala umbiko. I am writing the report. present, class 3
- Ngiwubhalile umbiko. I have written the report. resultative past, class 3
- Ngizowubhala umbiko. I will write the report. simple future, class 3
In each sentence above, the noun umbiko is still stated for clarity. In natural conversation, once a noun has been mentioned once, later sentences usually drop it and rely on the object concord alone, as in the dialogue below.
Model Dialogue
Isimo: NgoMsombuluko, uZanele uthola uNomvula esedeskini lakhe, esaphethe umbiko abakhuluma ngawo ngesonto eledlule.
Setting: On Monday, Zanele finds Nomvula at her desk, still holding the report they discussed the week before.
This dialogue uses object concords for class 1, class 3, and class 9, across present, resultative past, and simple future. Every noun class and noun phrase pattern used was already active by the end of Chapter 6.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- UNomvula uwubhale nini umbiko? (When did Nomvula write the report?)
- Uzomnika bani umbiko? (Who will she give the report to?)
- Kungani umsebenzi ungokaMandla? (Why is the work Mandla's?)
Listening
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a qualified isiZulu speaker to read the following short passages aloud at a natural, measured pace. Listen twice for each item. On the first listen, identify which noun each object concord refers back to. On the second listen, write down the object concord you heard, and the noun class it belongs to.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read each passage aloud yourself at a measured pace, pausing naturally between sentences. All audio models must be verified by a qualified isiZulu speaker before being treated as a pronunciation model.
1. Umbiko kaNomvula — Nomvula's report:
"UNomvula ubhale umbiko izolo. Manje, uyawufunda futhi, bese ewunika uMandla. UMandla uzowubona kusasa, ehhovisi lakhe."
2. Incwadi kaZanele — Zanele's letter:
"UZanele unencwadi entsha. Uzoyifunda ekuseni, bese eyinika uNomvula, ukuze naye ayifunde."
Umsebenzi wokulalela — Listening task:
Complete the table with the details you hear.
| Isiqephu (Passage) | Isenzukuthi sempendulo (Object concord heard) | Ibanga lebizo (Noun class it refers to) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ______ | ______ |
| 2 | ______ | ______ |
Reading
Read the following short passage, which introduces a report and a letter once, then refers back to each of them with object concords rather than repeating the nouns. Read it aloud twice before answering the comprehension questions.
Umsebenzi kaNomvula noZanele — Nomvula and Zanele's work
UNomvula unombiko omkhulu, awubhalile izolo ehhovisi likaZanele. Manje, uyawufunda futhi, ukuze awuhlele kahle, bese ewunika uMandla, ngoba umsebenzi lo, ngokwakhe. UZanele unencwadi entsha kaMandla naye, futhi uzoyifunda kusasa. Uma esewuqedile umbiko, uNomvula uzombona uMandla ehhovisi, bese emnika umbiko nencwadi ndawonye.
This passage names umbiko and incwadi once each, then relies on object concords, -wu- and -yi-, to refer back to them throughout. It also uses -m- to refer back to uMandla, once his name has already been given.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- UNomvula uwubhale nini umbiko? (When did Nomvula write the report?)
- Kungani ewufunda futhi? (Why is she reading it again?)
- UZanele uzoyifunda nini incwadi? (When will Zanele read the letter?)
- UNomvula uzomnika ini uMandla? (What will Nomvula give Mandla?)
Writing Workshop
In this chapter, you will write a short exchange in which you name a specific person or thing once, then refer back to it using an object concord, combining this with the present, past, and future forms already active in your writing.
Umsebenzi wokubhala — Writing task: Write six to eight sentences describing a report, a letter, or a colleague, or invented equivalents. Name the person or thing once, then use at least three different object concords to refer back to it, across at least two different tenses.
- Choose your topic. In English, decide on one specific report, letter, or person you will describe.
- Name it once. Introduce the noun in your first sentence, with its correct noun class.
- Refer back to it. In your following sentences, replace the noun with the matching object concord, rather than repeating it.
- Vary the tense. Use at least one present, one resultative past, and one simple future sentence, each carrying the same object concord.
- Add one sequenced pair. Use bese, from Chapter 5 and Chapter 6, to link two related actions involving the same object.
- Audit your draft. Check that every object concord matches the class of the noun it replaces, and that you have not repeated a noun unnecessarily, before writing your final version.
Isikhungo sokuhlola — Editing checklist:
- The noun is named once, then replaced with an object concord in later sentences.
- At least three object concords are used, matching the correct noun classes.
- Object concords appear correctly in at least two different tenses.
- Bese is used at least once to link two related actions.
- Every subject concord and object concord matches its noun's class.
- No unscheduled vocabulary or grammar appears beyond Volume I and Chapters 1 through 7.
Speaking Practice
Ukuzilolonga — Controlled practice: swapping the noun for the object concord
Your partner says a short sentence naming a person or thing. Restate the sentence out loud, replacing the noun with the matching object concord, then confirm together which class you chose.
Umsebenzi wokuxhumana — Communicative task: the shared report
Working with a partner, invent a short report, letter, or task that belongs to both of you. Take turns describing what has already happened to it, what is happening to it now, and what will happen to it soon, using an object concord each time instead of repeating the noun.
Useful checking expressions: Uwubonile umbiko? (Have you seen the report?) | Uzoyifunda nini incwadi? (When will you read the letter?) | Ngizombona nini uMandla? (When will I see Mandla?)
Ukuzilolonga wedwa — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing the exchange you wrote about in the Writing Workshop, as a spoken account. Listen back, and check that every object concord you used still matches its noun's class.
Culture and Communication
In many isiZulu speaking communities, repeating a noun too many times in a short conversation can sound stiff or overly formal, rather than natural. Speakers commonly move quickly to an object concord once a person or thing has been named, and learners who do the same will often sound more fluent and easier to follow.
When an object concord refers to a person rather than a thing, speakers often continue to use the person's name occasionally throughout a longer conversation, even after the object concord has been introduced, as a way of maintaining warmth and respect. This is worth noticing as you listen to longer exchanges in later chapters.
In fast, everyday speech, some speakers shorten certain object concords further than the careful forms presented in this chapter. This textbook models a clear, standard pattern suitable for learners. Keep listening for small variations as your listening skills develop in later chapters and volumes.
Common Mistakes
Error: Placing the object concord before the tense marker, rather than after it, for example saying ngiwuzobhala when a simple future meaning is intended.
Correction: Keep the tense marker before the object concord, directly followed by the root: ngizowubhala, not ngiwuzobhala, when describing something that will happen to a class 3 noun.
Error: Using both the full noun and the object concord in the same sentence without a clear reason, for example saying Ngiyawubona umbiko wona when a single, natural reference is intended.
Correction: Once a noun has already been named, use the object concord alone in later sentences: Ngiyawubona, not Ngiyawubona umbiko wona, unless you are deliberately emphasizing the noun.
Error: Using a class 3 object concord for a class 9 noun, for example saying Ngiyawubona incwadi when referring to a letter, which belongs to class 9.
Correction: Match the object concord to the noun's class before speaking: Ngiyayibona incwadi, not Ngiyawubona incwadi, since incwadi takes the class 9 object concord -yi-.
Chapter Review
Ingxenye A — Amagama (Vocabulary)
1. Bhala ibanga lebizo lalawa magama: umuntu, abantu, umsebenzi, umbiko, ihhovisi, incwadi. (Write the noun class of each of these words.)
Ingxenye B — Isigabisigabi (Grammar)
1. Khetha isenzukuthi sempendulo esifanele: (Choose the correct object concord.)
- Ngiya___bona umbiko. (-wu- / -yi-)
- Ngizo___funda incwadi. (-li- / -yi-)
- Umbonile___ uMandla? (-m- / -ba-)
2. Guqula lo mushosho, usebenzisa isenzukuthi sempendulo esikhundleni sebizo: (Rewrite this sentence, using an object concord in place of the noun.)
Ngiwubhalile umbiko. → ______
Ingxenye C — Ukufunda (Reading)
1. Funda leli phuzu, uphendule imibuzo: (Read this line, and answer the questions.)
"Uma esewuqedile umbiko, uNomvula uzombona uMandla ehhovisi, bese emnika umbiko nencwadi ndawonye."
- Uzombona nini uMandla, uNomvula?
- Uzomnika ini?
Ingxenye D — Ukubhala (Writing)
1. Bhala izinhlamvu ezimbalwa, uqamba umuntu noma into ngokuqondile, bese usebenzisa isenzukuthi sempendulo kaninginengi ukuze ubuyekeze kuyo. (Write several sentences, naming a person or thing specifically, then use an object concord several times to refer back to it.)
Ingxenye E — Ukukhuluma (Speaking)
1. Xoxa nomngane wakho ngombiko noma incwadi eniyaziyo nobabili, usebenzisa isenzukuthi sempendulo kuzo zonke izikhathi ezintathu. (Talk with your partner about a report or letter you both know, using an object concord across all three tenses.)
Ukubuyekezwa okuhlanganisiwe — Cumulative review from Chapters 1 through 6
Choose the correct word or form in brackets to complete this short exchange, drawing on patterns consolidated in Chapters 1 through 6 and reactivated in this chapter.
Sawubona, Nomvula. [Yilowo / Yileso] umbiko esikhulume ngawo. U[sewubhalile / sewuyabhala]? Yebo, ngi[wubhalile / wubhala] izolo, kodwa manje ngiya[wufunda / mfunda] futhi. [Kusasa / Kudala] ngizo[wunika / munika] uMandla, ngoba umsebenzi lo, [ngokwakhe / ngokwami].
Chapter 7 Performance Task
Umsebenzi wesikhombisa weVolumu II
Umbiko esiwaziyo sobabili — The report we both know
Complete a full speaking and writing task in three stages, drawing on the object concords developed in this chapter, together with the past and future systems from Chapters 5 and 6:
- Ukwethula (Introducing). Tell your partner about one specific report, letter, or person, naming it clearly once.
- Ukubuyekeza (Referring back). Continue the conversation for several more sentences, referring back to that same report, letter, or person using an object concord each time, across at least two different tenses.
- Ukubhala (Written component). Write six to eight sentences that bring together your introduction and your object-concord references from the speaking task above. Submit with standard isiZulu spelling, correct capitalization and punctuation, and no analytical hyphens in ordinary writing.
Answer Key
Dialogue — Comprehension
- UNomvula uwubhale izolo umbiko.
- Uzowunika uMandla umbiko.
- Umsebenzi ungokaMandla ngoba uwenzile yena, ngokwakhe.
Listening
- Passage 1 — Object concord -wu-, class 3: Nomvula wrote the report yesterday, is reading it again now, and will give it to Mandla, who will see it tomorrow at his office.
- Passage 2 — Object concord -yi-, class 9: Zanele has a new letter, will read it in the morning, and will then give it to Nomvula so that she can read it too.
Reading — Comprehension
- UNomvula uwubhale izolo umbiko.
- Uyawufunda futhi ukuze awuhlele kahle.
- UZanele uzoyifunda incwadi kusasa.
- UNomvula uzomnika umbiko nencwadi.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye A
umuntu = class 1; abantu = class 2; umsebenzi = class 3; umbiko = class 3; ihhovisi = class 5; incwadi = class 9.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye B
- (a) -wu- (b) -yi- (c) -m-
- Ngiwubhalile.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye C
- (a) Uzombona uMandla, uma esewuqedile umbiko. (b) Uzomnika umbiko nencwadi.
Cumulative Review — Correct answers
Yilowo / sewuyabhalile / wubhalile / wufunda / kusasa / wunika / ngokwakhe
Looking Ahead
Okungakwenzeka manje — What you can do now
You can now refer back to a specific person or thing you have already mentioned, using an object concord that matches its noun class, across present, past, and future forms. Together with the past narration from Chapter 5, and the future and intention forms from Chapter 6, you can now hold a connected conversation that stays natural and unrepetitive, the way real isiZulu conversation does.