Okwenziwayo
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Recognize the passive extension, and understand how it shifts attention from the person doing an action to the person or thing affected by it.
- Use a small, controlled set of passive verbs built from the same roots you already control from Chapter 13.
- Form a passive sentence in which the agent is left unnamed, when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or already understood.
- Name the agent of a passive verb, when it matters, using the pattern you will practice in this chapter.
- Connect passive sentences to the object concords you learned in Chapter 7, and to the applicative forms from Chapter 13.
- Read and listen to short passages describing tasks and events from the point of view of what was done, rather than who did it.
- Write a short paragraph describing a situation using at least one passive verb.
Communication Scenario
The visit that Thandeka and Nomvula planned in Chapter 13 has now taken place, and the neighbor's small house is full of quiet activity. Nobody is asking who did what, they are simply noticing what has already been done. The milk has been bought, the food has been cooked, and the letter has already been read aloud. Describing a finished situation this way, without pointing to the person responsible, needs a verb form that Thandeka and Nomvula have not yet used together, the passive.
- Before you begin, think, in English, about how often you describe a result without naming who caused it, such as saying the door was left open, rather than someone left the door open. Notice how natural that shift in attention feels.
- Look back briefly at the applicative verbs from Chapter 13. This chapter uses the very same four roots, thenga, pheka, bhala, and enza, now shaped for a different purpose.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 14 continues Unit 3 of Volume II. It builds directly on the applicative verbs from Chapter 13, and develops the passive extension, which you have already met receptively in earlier chapters, into a small, controlled set of productive forms. Chapter 15 moves from grammar-in-use toward media, messages, and announcements, where passive verbs appear frequently in public notices.
From Chapter 13
The applicative extension, thengela, phekela, bhalela, and senzela, plus object concords naming the beneficiary of an action.
New in This Chapter
The passive extension, added to the same four verb roots, to shift attention away from the doer and toward what happened, or to whom.
Looking Forward
Chapter 15 reads and listens to short public texts, where passive forms are common in announcements, notices, and reports.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter reuses the four verb roots from Chapter 13, now in their passive form, along with a few words for describing finished situations and unnamed agents. Keeping the same roots lets your attention stay on the new grammar, rather than on unfamiliar vocabulary.
| isiZulu | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| thenga, thengwa | to buy, to be bought | plain root and passive pair |
| pheka, phekwa | to cook, to be cooked | plain root and passive pair |
| bhala, bhalwa | to write, to be written | plain root and passive pair |
| enza, enziwa | to do or make, to be done | irregular passive, uses an extra vowel |
| ngu- | by, naming the agent | attached to a person's name after a passive verb |
| kade | already, a while ago | used with completed, agentless actions |
| akwaziwa | it is not known | useful formula for an unnamed agent |
Thengwa, phekwa, bhalwa, and enziwa are the four passive forms you will use most often in this chapter's grammar and practice.
Pronunciation Review
No new click series is introduced in this chapter. This chapter reviews the nasalized click series, nc, nq, and nx, and reminds you to pronounce the -w- of a passive verb clearly, so that it does not blur into the vowel that follows it.
A passive verb built on one of this chapter's roots keeps the same number of syllables as the plain verb, but inserts a clear -w- sound just before the final vowel, for example thenga becomes thengwa. Read the model dialogue below aloud, and take care to make that -w- distinct, rather than letting the two vowels around it run together.
Grammar: The Passive Extension
14.1 What the passive extension does
Purpose: describe an action from the point of view of the person or thing affected by it, while leaving the doer unnamed, unimportant, or understood from context.
The passive extension changes a verb so that the person or thing that would normally be the object becomes the subject of the sentence instead. This chapter introduces the passive in the same small set of verbs you already know from Chapter 13, so that you can recognize the pattern and use a handful of common passive forms correctly, without yet building new passive verbs freely.
The passive adds -w- before the final vowel. Compare thenga, to buy, with thengwa, to be bought. The root thenga stays recognizable, and the added -w- carries the new meaning. Enza is irregular, and becomes enziwa, with an extra vowel inserted before the -w-.
| Plain verb | Meaning | Passive form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| thenga | to buy | thengwa | to be bought |
| pheka | to cook | phekwa | to be cooked |
| bhala | to write | bhalwa | to be written |
| enza | to do, to make | enziwa | to be done |
Notice the added -w- before the final vowel in each passive form, and the extra vowel in enziwa. This chapter asks you only to recognize and use these four passive verbs correctly. Building new passive forms from other verb roots will be developed in a later chapter.
14.2 Leaving the agent unnamed
Purpose: describe a finished situation without saying who caused it, because the doer is unknown, unimportant, or already clear.
The most common use of the passive is to describe a result on its own, with the subject concord matching the noun class of the thing affected, and no agent named at all.
You can combine an agentless passive with the reason clauses you learned in Chapter 12, so that a single sentence describes what has happened, and why, without pointing to anyone in particular.
- Incwadi le seyibhaliwe, ngoba umakhelwane wayefuna ukwazi ngosuku lokuvakasha. This letter has already been written, because the neighbor wanted to know about the day of the visit. Passive bhalwa (resultative) + ngoba reason clause
- Akwaziwa ukuthi ubani owenza lokhu, kodwa umsebenzi wenziwe kahle. It is not known who did this, but the work was done well. Formula akwaziwa + passive enziwa
14.3 Naming the agent with ngu-
Purpose: say who performed the action, when it matters, while keeping the affected person or thing as the subject of the sentence.
When the doer needs to be named, attach ngu- to that person's name, and place it after the passive verb. The subject of the sentence remains the thing or person affected, not the agent.
- Ukudla kuphekwe nguNomvula. The food was cooked by Nomvula. Passive phekwa + agent nguNomvula
- Incwadi ibhalwe nguThandeka, hhayi ngumakhelwane wakhe. The letter was written by Thandeka, not by her neighbor. Passive bhalwa + agent nguThandeka
This chapter uses ngu- only with a person's name, since that pattern is enough to say who performed the action clearly. Naming an agent with a full noun phrase will be developed in a later chapter, alongside broader concord work.
Model Dialogue
Isimo: UThandeka noNomvula sebefikile endlini yomakhelwane, futhi bakhuluma ngalokho osekwenzekile ngaphambi kokuba bafike.
Setting: Thandeka and Nomvula have arrived at the neighbor's house, and they talk about what has already happened before they arrived.
Nomvula smiles, seeing that the neighbor has already noticed that he matters in this household.
This dialogue combines the passive forms thengwa, phekwa, and enziwa, an agentless resultative reading, and an agent named with ngu-.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- Kuthengwe ubani ubisi? (Who was the milk bought by?)
- Kuphekwe ubani ukudla? (Who was the food cooked by?)
- UNomvula uthini mayelana nokwazi ukuthi kwenzile ubani? (What does Nomvula say about needing to know who did it?)
Listening
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a qualified isiZulu speaker to read the following short passage aloud at a natural, measured pace. Listen twice. On the first listen, note what has already been done. On the second listen, note which sentences name an agent, and which leave it unnamed.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage aloud yourself at a measured pace, pausing naturally between each sentence. All audio models must be verified by a qualified isiZulu speaker before being treated as a pronunciation model.
Konke sekwenziwe — Everything has already been done:
"Ubisi seluthengiwe, futhi akwaziwa kahle ukuthi ubani okuthengele lona. Ukudla kuphekwe nguNomvula ekuseni. Incwadi ibhalwe nguThandeka izolo, ngoba umakhelwane wayefuna ukwazi ngosuku lokuvakasha. Konke lokhu kwenziwe kahle, futhi umakhelwane usejabule kakhulu."
Umsebenzi wokulalela — Listening task:
Complete the table with the details you hear.
| Isenzo esenziwe (What was done) | Owenzile (Who did it, if named) |
|---|---|
| Ubisi luthengiwe | ______ |
| Ukudla kuphekiwe | ______ |
| Incwadi ibhaliwe | ______ |
Reading
Read the following short passage, which describes a household in which several tasks have already been finished. Read it aloud twice before answering the comprehension questions.
Indlu esilungiselelwe kahle — A house that has been well prepared
Ngesikhathi uThandeka noNomvula befika, izinto eziningi zase zenziwe kakade. Ubisi lwase luthengiwe, futhi akwaziwanga kahle ukuthi ubani okuthengele lona. Ukudla kwase kuphekiwe nguNomvula, ngoba wayefikile ekuseni ukuze asize. Incwadi eyayibhalelwe umakhelwane ngesonto eledlule yase ifundiwe kabili, futhi umakhelwane wayesazi kahle ukuthi bazofika nini. Ngenxa yalokhu konke, ukuvakasha kwaqhubeka kahle, ngaphandle kwenkathazo.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- Yini eyase yenziwe ngaphambi kokuba uThandeka noNomvula bafike? (What had already been done before Thandeka and Nomvula arrived?)
- Kuphekwe ubani ukudla? (Who was the food cooked by?)
- Kungani incwadi seyifundiwe kabili? (Why has the letter already been read twice?)
- Kwaqhubeka kanjani ukuvakasha ekugcineni? (How did the visit go in the end?)
Writing Workshop
In this chapter, you will write a short paragraph describing a situation in which several things have already been done, using at least one passive verb without a named agent, and at least one passive verb with an agent named using ngu-.
Umsebenzi wokubhala — Writing task: Write six to eight sentences describing a household, an office, or an event, real or invented, in which tasks have already been completed. Use at least two of the passive verbs from this chapter, thengwa, phekwa, bhalwa, or enziwa.
- Choose your situation. In English, note what has already happened, and whether it matters who did it.
- Describe the first result. Use a passive verb without naming an agent, if the doer is unimportant or unknown.
- Describe a second result. Use a different passive verb from this chapter's set, this time naming the agent with ngu-.
- Add a reason. Use a ngoba clause from Chapter 12 to explain why one of the tasks was done.
- Audit your draft. Confirm that each passive verb keeps its -w- clearly before the final vowel, and that the subject concord matches the noun class of the thing affected, not the doer.
Isikhungo sokuhlola — Editing checklist:
- At least two passive verbs from this chapter are used correctly.
- At least one sentence leaves the agent unnamed.
- At least one sentence names the agent using ngu-.
- Every subject concord matches the noun class of the thing affected, not the doer.
- Standard isiZulu spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are used throughout.
Speaking Practice
Ukuzilolonga — Controlled practice: what has been done
With a partner, take turns naming an everyday task, such as thenga, pheka, bhala, or enza, then describe it as already finished using the passive form, for example Ukudla sekuphekiwe. (The food has already been cooked.)
Umsebenzi wokuxhumana — Communicative task: who did it
Working with a partner, imagine a household in which several tasks have been finished. Take turns asking Kwenziwe ubani? (Who was it done by?), and answering either by naming the person with ngu-, or by saying Akwaziwa ukuthi ubani. (It is not known who.)
Ukuzilolonga wedwa — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing three things that have already been done around your own home or workplace, naming the person responsible for at least one of them. Listen back, and check that each passive verb keeps its -w- distinct.
Culture and Communication
In many households and community gatherings, tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and preparing for guests are shared among several people, and describing the result, the food is cooked, the house is prepared, is often more natural than singling out one person's contribution. The passive gives you language that matches this everyday pattern of shared effort.
There are also situations, such as thanking someone directly, or clarifying a misunderstanding, where naming exactly who did something becomes important. The ngu- pattern in this chapter lets you shift smoothly between describing a shared result and giving credit to a particular person, depending on what the situation calls for.
Passive verbs appear frequently in signs, notices, and announcements, such as a notice stating that a road is closed, or that a meeting has been postponed. This chapter's controlled forms prepare you for that kind of everyday public language, which Chapter 15 will introduce more fully.
Common Mistakes
Error: Matching the subject concord to the person who performed the action, instead of the thing affected, for example saying uphekwa ukudla when the food, not a person, is the subject.
Correction: Match the subject concord to the thing affected: ukudla kuphekiwe, the food has been cooked, with the class 15 or class 7 concord agreeing with ukudla, not with the cook.
Error: Using the plain verb where the passive meaning is needed, for example saying incwadi seyibhale to mean the letter has already been written, instead of using the passive form.
Correction: Add the passive extension clearly before the final vowel: incwadi seyibhaliwe, the letter has already been written, with -w- present.
Error: Trying to attach ngu- to a full descriptive phrase this early, before that broader pattern has been developed, for example guessing at an agent phrase built from an unfamiliar noun class.
Correction: Use ngu- only with a person's name at this stage, such as nguThandeka or nguNomvula. Naming an agent with a fuller noun phrase will be developed in a later chapter.
Chapter Review
Ingxenye A — Ukwakha (Building passive sentences)
1. Bhala umusho owodwa osebenzisa isenzo esinesandiso sokwenziwa, ungasho ukuthi kwenziwe ubani: (Write one sentence using a passive verb, without naming who did it.)
Ingxenye B — Isigabisigabi (Grammar)
1. Guqula amagama la abe izinsizwa ezinesandiso sokwenziwa: (Change these words into their passive form.)
thenga → ______ pheka → ______ bhala → ______ enza → ______
2. Gcwalisa isikhala ngegama elifanele: (Fill in the blank with the correct word.)
- Ubisi selu___ (thengile / thengiwe / thengela).
- Ukudla ku___ nguNomvula. (pheka / phekwa / phekile)
- Incwadi i___ nguThandeka izolo. (bhala / bhalwe / bhalela)
Ingxenye C — Ukufunda (Reading)
1. Buyela ohlangothini lokufunda, uphendule: (Return to the reading section, and answer.)
- Kuphekwe ubani ukudla?
- Kungani incwadi seyifundiwe kabili?
Ingxenye D — Ukubhala (Writing)
1. Bhala umusho owodwa osebenzisa isenzo esinesandiso sokwenziwa ngaphandle kokusho owenzile, nomusho owodwa oqamba owenzile ngo-ngu-. (Write one sentence using a passive verb without naming who did it, and one sentence naming who did it using ngu-.)
Ingxenye E — Ukukhuluma (Speaking)
1. Tshela umngane wakho ngezinto ezimbili osezenzile ekhaya, uveze ukuthi ngubani owazenza. (Tell your partner about two things that have already been done at home, and say who did them.)
Ukubuyekezwa okuhlanganisiwe — Cumulative review from Chapters 9 through 13
Choose the correct word or form in brackets to complete this short account, drawing on locatives, relative concords, applicative forms, and this chapter's passive forms together.
Ubisi [seluthengiwe / seluthenga] endaweni [okuthengwa / okuthengelwa] khona ubisi njalo. Ukudla [kuphekiwe / kuyapheka] nguNomvula, [ngoba / ukuthi] ubefuna ukusiza umakhelwane [obegula / osebenza].
Answer Key
Dialogue — Comprehension
- Akwaziwa kahle, kodwa kucatshangwa ukuthi kuthengwe nguThandeka wesibili, umzala.
- Kuphekwe nguNomvula.
- Uthi mhlawumbe akudingekile ukwazi ukuthi kwenziwe ubani, okubalulekile ukuthi konke sekwenziwe kahle.
Listening
- Ubisi luthengiwe — akwaziwa kahle ukuthi ubani.
- Ukudla kuphekiwe — nguNomvula.
- Incwadi ibhaliwe — nguThandeka.
Reading — Comprehension
- Ubisi lwase luthengiwe, ukudla kwase kuphekiwe, futhi incwadi yase ifundiwe kabili.
- Kuphekwe nguNomvula.
- Ngoba umakhelwane wayefuna ukuqiniseka ngosuku lokuvakasha.
- Kwaqhubeka kahle, ngaphandle kwenkathazo.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye B
- thenga → thengwa, pheka → phekwa, bhala → bhalwa, enza → enziwa
- (a) thengiwe (b) phekwa (c) bhalwe
Chapter Review — Ingxenye C
- (a) Kuphekwe nguNomvula. (b) Ngoba incwadi yayifundwe kabili ukuze umakhelwane aqiniseke ngosuku.
Cumulative Review — Correct answers
seluthengiwe / okuthengelwa / kuphekiwe / ngoba / obegula
Looking Ahead
Okungakwenzeka manje — What you can do now
You can now recognize and use a small set of passive verbs, describe a finished situation without naming who caused it, and name the agent with ngu- when it matters. Together with your existing applicative, object concord, and reason-clause control, this lets you describe events from more than one point of view, either who did something, or what happened to something.