Learn Shona – Beginner’s Lesson 7

Adult education is common especially amongst City dwellers. Many people you meet will be studying for additional qualifications, even just for the challenge. Education is seen as both a necessity for career advancement, as well as a hobby.

The read (listen) and repeat formula is designed to increase your intuitive understanding of Shona sentence structures.

Education (Dzidzo)

What school – Chikoro chipi?

To go to – Kuenda ku.

You go to – Unoenda ku.

He/she goes – anoenda

It goes – Inoenda/chinoenda

We go – Tinoenda

They go – Vanoenda

What school do you go to?(You go to what school?) – Unoenda kuchikoro chipi?

What university do you go to?(You go to what university?) – Unoenda kuYunivhesiti ipi?

I go – Ndinoenda

I go to Hallway school – Ndinoenda kuHallway School

Which? – Ripi/ipi

Which grade? – Giredhi ripi?

Which form – fomu ipi?

Which year? – Gore ripi?

Are you? – Uri.here?

In – mu.

Which grade are you in? – Uri mugiredhi ripi?

Which form are you in? – Uri mufomu ipi?

Which year are you in – Uri mugore ripi/rechingani?

I am in my first year – Ndiri mugore rangu rokutanga

My final year – gore rangu rokupedzisira

To finish – kupedza

I have finished – Ndapedza

I have finished university – Ndapedza kuyunivhesiti

To graduate – Kupiwa chitupa/kugirajuweta

I graduated – Ndakapiwa chitupa

I graduated this year – Ndakapiwa chitupa gore rino

I have graduated – ndapiwa chitupa

Just – …ngobva

Ive just graduated – Ndichangobva kupiwa chitupa

To study/learn – Kudzidza/kuverenga

Studying/learning – Kudzidza/kuverenga

What are you studying/learning? – Uri kudzidza chii?

I am studying/learning Shona – Ndiri kudzidza ChiShona

You studied – Wakadzidza

What did you study?( You studied what?) – Wakadzidza chii?

I studied computer science – Ndakadzidza Computer Sainzi

To want – Kuda

You want – Unoda

Do you want – Unoda here?

To do – Kuita

When – rini?

When you leave – Kana wasiya

What do you want to do when you finish school? – Unoda kuita chii kana wapedza

chikoro

I want – Ndinoda

To – Ku

To be – kuva

I want to be an (architect) – Ndinoda kuva Architect

Really? – Ho-o?

That is – Izvozvo/Zvino

Great/wonderful – zvakanaka

That is great/wonderful – Izvozvo zvakanaka

That is admirable – Zvinoyemurika

What about? – Ko?

What about you?/And you – Ko iwe

This is part of a series of Shona lessons provided by http://www.learnshona.com. The audio versions are available at learnshona.com. Please note that learnShona.com courses are designed to teach you by listening and repeating the words, as this is similar to the highly effective and proven Pimsleur technique. As such, it will be more difficult, and much slower, to grasp by reading alone. We recommend downloading the audio course to listen and repeat. We welcome your feedback and hope that you find this useful.