Izindaba Nezingxoxo
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Tell a short connected story, in the past, with events in a clear order.
- Use sequencing words such as kwathi, base, and ngemuva kwalokho, to link one event to the next.
- Use basic relative clauses, from Chapter 11, to describe people and things inside a story.
- Include a short stretch of quoted dialogue inside a narrative, and mark clearly who is speaking.
- Recognize a small set of ideophones that add vividness to storytelling, without needing to produce every form independently.
- Write a short story of several connected sentences, with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- Connect the passive forms from Chapters 14 and 15, and the applicative forms from Chapter 13, to natural storytelling.
Communication Scenario
The rescheduled meeting from Chapter 15 has now taken place, and Thandeka wants to tell her cousin Sipho, who could not attend, what happened. A short notice or message states only the bare facts, but a story needs more, an order of events, a sense of who said what, and a few vivid touches that make the telling worth listening to. As Thandeka retells the afternoon, she moves between plain narration, quoted speech, and small expressive details, weaving together everything from earlier chapters into something closer to natural, connected speech.
- Before you begin, think, in English, about the last time you retold a friend's story to someone else. Notice how you ordered the events, and how you signalled which words were someone else's.
- Look back briefly at the relative clauses from Chapter 11, and the passive forms from Chapters 14 and 15. This chapter shows you how these systems combine naturally inside a story.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 16 continues Unit 3 of Volume II. It draws together the passive forms from Chapters 14 and 15, the applicative forms from Chapter 13, and the relative clauses from Chapter 11, and applies them to a new communicative purpose, telling a connected story with dialogue and sequencing. Chapter 17 then moves from storytelling toward practical support, advice, and obligation language.
From Earlier Chapters
Relative clauses, from Chapter 11, the applicative extension, from Chapter 13, and the passive pattern, from Chapters 14 and 15.
New in This Chapter
Sequencing connectors for ordered narration, quoting another person's words inside a story, and a small, controlled set of ideophones for vivid description.
Looking Forward
Chapter 17 moves from storytelling toward practical advice, obligation, and support language.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter introduces vocabulary for narrating a sequence of events, quoting speech inside a story, and a small set of ideophones that add vividness to a retelling.
| isiZulu | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| indaba | story, matter, news | class 9 noun, plural izindaba |
| kwathi | then, and so it happened that | narrative sequencing connector |
| base | then, after that | narrative sequencing connector, informal register |
| ngemuva kwalokho | after that | formal sequencing phrase |
| wathi | he said, she said | class 1 subject concord plus -thi, used to introduce quoted speech |
| ukuthula | silence, quiet | class 14 abstract noun |
| bahleka | they laughed | past tense of hleka, to laugh |
| lokhu | this, this thing | demonstrative, class 15/17, used to refer back to a previous idea |
Kwathi and wathi share the same -thi root. Kwathi introduces an event, and wathi introduces a person's words.
Pronunciation Review
No new click series is introduced in this chapter. This chapter reviews all click series encountered so far, plain, aspirated, and voiced, since storytelling at a natural pace tends to blur click articulation more than careful, single sentence reading does.
When people tell a story, they often speak faster and with more expression than when they read a notice aloud. Practice telling this chapter's story once slowly, checking each click carefully, and once at a livelier, more natural storytelling pace, without letting the clicks disappear.
Grammar: Narrative Expansion and Dialogue
16.1 Sequencing events with kwathi, base, and ngemuva kwalokho
Purpose: link a series of past events into one connected story, instead of a list of separate sentences.
A story rarely presents events as isolated facts. Instead, one event leads naturally into the next, often marked by a small connecting word rather than by a full new subject and verb every time. Kwathi, base, and ngemuva kwalokho all move a story forward, but they differ slightly in register and feel.
Kwathi often opens a new turn in the story, and can be followed directly by a description of what happened. Base is a lighter, more conversational connector, common in spoken narration. Ngemuva kwalokho is more formal, and works well in writing.
| Connector | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| kwathi | then, and so it happened that | neutral, common in both speech and writing |
| base | then, after that | informal, conversational |
| ngemuva kwalokho | after that | more formal, common in writing |
- Umhlangano wawuqalile, kwathi kucaca ukuthi izulu lizoba nzima. The meeting had started, then it became clear that the weather would be bad. kwathi + descriptive clause
- Sahlala phansi, base sabhala amagama ethu ebhodini. We sat down, then we wrote our names on the board. base + past tense
16.2 Quoting speech inside a story
Purpose: mark clearly, inside a narrative, when the words belong to a particular person, rather than to the narrator.
Wathi introduces someone's exact words, in much the same way that English uses “he said” or “she said,” before or after a quotation. The subject concord inside wathi changes with the noun class of the speaker, exactly as in any other verb.
Quoted speech, once introduced with wathi, may include any grammar the speaker would naturally use, including forms not yet fully active for independent production. Learners are not expected to generate every possible quoted sentence, only to recognize the pattern and reuse it with familiar material.
- Uthisha wathi, "Umhlangano usuzoqala manje." The teacher said, "The meeting is about to start now." wathi + direct quotation
- Bathi bonke, "Siyavuma." They all said, "We agree." class 2 subject concord ba- + -thi
16.3 Ideophones for vivid storytelling
Purpose: recognize, and use in a controlled way, a small set of ideophones that make a story more vivid.
An ideophone is a short, expressive word that evokes a sound, a movement, or a sudden state, often placed after a verb such as thi or enza. This chapter introduces only a small, high frequency set, for recognition and light, controlled use. Building an independent, expressive command of ideophones remains a target for later volumes.
| Ideophone | Evokes | Typical frame |
|---|---|---|
| cwaka | sudden silence | kwathi cwaka, it suddenly became silent |
| bhici | a sudden splash or wet impact | kwathi bhici, there was a sudden splash |
| vele | appearing suddenly, plainly | wavele wafika, he simply appeared |
Ideophones such as cwaka and bhici are recognition and light controlled use items in this chapter, not an open, independent expressive system.
Model Dialogue
Isimo: UThandeka utshela umzala wakhe, uSipho, ngomhlangano owenzeke ngoLwesihlanu, njengoba kuvezwe esazisweni nasemlayezweni esahlukweni esidlule.
Setting: Thandeka tells her cousin Sipho about the meeting that took place on Friday, following the notice and message from the previous chapter.
Sipho sits down, listening intently.
This dialogue combines sequencing connectors, a quoted turn with wathi, one controlled ideophone, cwaka, and a relative clause from earlier chapters, isaziso esibhalwe ebhodini.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- Kwenzekani lapho uthisha esukuma? (What happened when the teacher stood up?)
- Uthisha wathini kubo bonke? (What did the teacher say to everyone?)
- Bonke baphendulani, futhi benzeni ngemuva kwalokho? (What did everyone answer, and what did they do after that?)
Listening
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a qualified isiZulu speaker to read the following short story aloud, at a natural, storytelling pace. Listen twice. On the first listen, note the order of events. On the second listen, note the quoted words and the ideophone.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage aloud yourself, at a measured, storytelling pace, pausing naturally between events. All audio models must be verified by a qualified isiZulu speaker before being treated as a pronunciation model.
Indaba emfushane — A short story:
"Ngesonto eledlule, umhlangano wesikole wawuhleliwe ekuseni, kodwa kwathi kusenjalo, kwaqhamuka imvula enkulu. Uthisha wathi, "Kufanele sithuthele endaweni eyomile." Sonke sahamba masinyane, base sithula, size sifike ehholweni elisha. Kwathi cwaka lapho sesingenile, base uthisha esukuma ethula umbuzo omusha, mayelana nosuku olusha lomhlangano."
Umsebenzi wokulalela — Listening task:
Complete the table with the details you hear.
| Umbuzo (Question) | Impendulo (Answer) |
|---|---|
| Yini eyenzeka kusenjalo? | ______ |
| Uthisha wathini kubo bonke? | ______ |
| Kwenzekani lapho sebengenile ehholweni elisha? | ______ |
Reading
Read the following short story, which draws together sequencing, quoted speech, and one relative clause from earlier chapters. Read it aloud twice before answering the comprehension questions.
Indaba: Usuku Olwaguqulwa
Ngesikhathi umhlangano owawuhleliwe usumisiwe kanye, uThandeka nomndeni wakhe babelokhu belindile. Kwathi ngoLwesihlanu, umlayezo omusha wafika, othi umhlangano usuzoqala ehholweni elisha. Bonke abantu ababefunda esikoleni beza masinyane, base behlala phansi ngokuthula. Uthisha owayechaza isaziso wathi, "Ngiyajabula ukunibona nonke lapha." Ngemuva kwalokho, umhlangano waqhubeka kahle, futhi bonke baphuma bejabule ngokuthi konke sekuhlelekile.
"Umhlangano owawuhleliwe" and "uthisha owayechaza isaziso" both use relative clauses from Chapter 11 to describe the meeting and the teacher.
Imibuzo yokuqonda — Comprehension questions:
- Umhlangano wagcina wenzeka kuphi? (Where did the meeting finally take place?)
- Uthisha wathini lapho enonke? (What did the teacher say when he had everyone together?)
- Bonke baphuma benjani? (How did everyone leave?)
Writing Workshop
In this chapter, you will write a short story of five to seven sentences, using at least one sequencing connector, one quoted line with wathi, and one relative clause from Chapter 11.
Umsebenzi wokubhala — Writing task: Choose a small event, a meeting, a visit, or a change of plan, real or invented, and tell it as a short story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- Plan your events. In English, list three to four things that happened, in order.
- Open the story. Set the scene in one or two sentences, using the past tense.
- Sequence the middle. Use kwathi, base, or ngemuva kwalokho to link at least two events.
- Add one quoted line. Use wathi, or a matching subject concord plus -thi, to quote something a person said.
- Close the story. End with a short sentence describing the outcome or how people felt.
- Audit your draft. Confirm that your sequencing connectors are used correctly, that your quoted line is clearly marked, and that at least one relative clause from Chapter 11 appears somewhere in the story.
Isikhungo sokuhlola — Editing checklist:
- The story has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- At least one sequencing connector links two events.
- At least one quoted line is introduced with wathi or a matching form.
- At least one relative clause from Chapter 11 is used correctly.
- Standard isiZulu spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are used throughout.
Speaking Practice
Ukuzilolonga — Controlled practice: retelling in order
With a partner, take turns retelling one of this chapter's stories aloud, in your own words, but keeping the events in the same order. Use at least one sequencing connector each time.
Umsebenzi wokuxhumana — Communicative task: passing on a story
Working with a partner, one of you invents a short event, then tells it as a story to the other person, including one quoted line. The listener then retells the story back, as briefly as possible, checking that the order of events stays the same.
Ukuzilolonga wedwa — Solo alternative
Record yourself telling your written story aloud, once slowly, checking every connector and quoted line, and once at a livelier, more natural pace. Listen back, and check that the order of events remains clear even when you speak more quickly.
Culture and Communication
Retelling the news of a meeting, a visit, or an event to someone who was not there is an everyday act of storytelling, and it commonly matters as much how the story is told as what it contains. A listener often expects some sense of order, some quoted words, and a clear outcome, rather than a bare list of facts.
Clearly marking whose words are being reported, with a form such as wathi, is treated as an important part of accurate, respectful storytelling in many isiZulu speaking communities, since it keeps the narrator's voice separate from the voice of the person being quoted.
The frequency and choice of ideophones in storytelling can vary somewhat between speakers and regions, with some speakers using a rich, expressive set, and others using a smaller, more restrained set. The three ideophones in this chapter are common and widely understood.
Common Mistakes
Error: Stringing several past tense sentences together with no connector at all, so that the story sounds like a list of unrelated facts.
Correction: Use kwathi, base, or ngemuva kwalokho to show that one event follows from, or leads into, the next, for example sahlala phansi, base kwathi cwaka, we sat down, then it suddenly went quiet.
Error: Quoting someone's words without a clear wathi, or a matching form, so the listener cannot tell whether the narrator or another person is speaking.
Correction: Always introduce quoted speech clearly, matching the subject concord to the speaker, for example uthisha wathi, "Umhlangano usuzoqala manje."
Error: Adding an ideophone to almost every sentence, in an attempt to sound more vivid or advanced.
Correction: Use an ideophone sparingly, at one clear high point in the story, so that it keeps its expressive force, for example one single kwathi cwaka at the moment the room goes quiet.
Chapter Review
Ingxenye A — Ukuqonda (Comprehension)
1. Buyela endabeni ethi Usuku Olwaguqulwa, uphendule le mibuzo emifushane: (Return to the story Usuku Olwaguqulwa, and answer these short questions.)
- Umhlangano wagcina wenzeka nini?
- Uthisha wathini lapho enonke esikoleni?
Ingxenye B — Isigabisigabi (Grammar)
1. Gcwalisa isikhala ngesixhumanisi esifanele: kwathi, base, noma ngemuva kwalokho. (Fill in the blank with the correct connector: kwathi, base, or ngemuva kwalokho.)
- Sahlala phansi, ______ sathula.
- Umhlangano waqala, ______ kwacaca ukuthi izulu lizoba nzima.
- Uthisha wakhuluma, ______ sonke saphendula.
2. Guqula lawa magama abe umusho onezinkulumo eziqoshiwe, usebenzisa u-wathi: (Turn these into a sentence with quoted speech, using wathi.)
UNomvula / "Ngiyaxolisa, ngifikile kade."
Ingxenye C — Ukufunda (Reading)
1. Buyela endabeni, uphendule: (Return to the story, and answer.)
- Yiziphi izinto ezimbili ezenzeka ngoLwesihlanu?
- Bonke baphuma benjani ekugcineni kwendaba?
Ingxenye D — Ukubhala (Writing)
1. Bhala indaba emfushane, enemisho emihlanu kuya kweyisikhombisa, ngesigameko esithile owasibonayo noma owasizwa ngaso. (Write a short story, of five to seven sentences, about an event you saw or heard about.)
Ingxenye E — Ukukhuluma (Speaking)
1. Landisela umngane wakho indaba yakho ombhalile, usebenzisa okungenani isixhumanisi esisodwa, kanye nenkulumo eyodwa eqoshiwe. (Tell your partner the story you have written, using at least one connector, along with one quoted line.)
Ukubuyekezwa okuhlanganisiwe — Cumulative review from Chapters 11 through 15
Choose the correct word or form in brackets to complete this short account, drawing on relative clauses, applicative forms, and the passive forms together.
Umhlangano [owawuhleliwe / owuhlela] wagcina [wenzekile / wenzeka] ehholweni elisha, kwathi uthisha [owayechaza / ochaza] isaziso, wathi, "Ngiyajabula ukunibona." Ngemuva kwalokho, konke [kwahlelwa / kuhlela] kahle.
Answer Key
Listening
- Kwaqhamuka imvula enkulu.
- Wathi, "Kufanele sithuthele endaweni eyomile."
- Kwathi cwaka, base uthisha esukuma ethula umbuzo omusha.
Dialogue — Comprehension
- Kwathi cwaka, uthisha esukuma.
- Wathi, "Umhlangano usuzoqala manje."
- Baphendula bathi, "Siyavuma," base bahleka kancane.
Reading — Comprehension
- Ehholweni elisha.
- Wathi, "Ngiyajabula ukunibona nonke lapha."
- Baphuma bejabule, ngokuthi konke sekuhlelekile.
Chapter Review — Ingxenye B
- (a) base (b) kwathi (c) base, or ngemuva kwalokho
- UNomvula wathi, "Ngiyaxolisa, ngifikile kade."
Chapter Review — Ingxenye C
- (a) Umhlangano usumisiwe, futhi umlayezo omusha wafikile. (b) Baphuma benjabule, ngokuthi konke sekuhlelekile.
Cumulative Review — Correct answers
owawuhleliwe / wenzekile / owayechaza / kwahlelwa
Looking Ahead
Okungakwenzeka manje — What you can do now
You can now tell a short, connected story in the past, link its events with sequencing connectors, quote another person's words clearly, and add a single, well placed ideophone for vividness. You can also recognize and reuse relative clauses inside a story, rather than only in isolated descriptions.