Izisho

Umehluko phakathi kwesisho nesaga

Isisho: Asiwona umusho ophelele. Isaga siyavuma ukushintshashintsha silandele inkathi yamanje noma inkathi ezayo noma inkathi esidlulile.
Isaga: Siwumusho ophelele, isaga singumphumela wento eyenzeka ezintweni ezikhona ezweni lokho okushiwo yisaga akushayi phansi.

Izisho

1. Ukudla mfundambili njengemboma: Ukufuna izinto zonke zibe ngezakho, ukuba yigovu
2. Ukubuya nempande yesikhova: Usuke ungazuzanga lutho
3. Ukufinya ngolimi njengenkomo: Ukweswela izinto eziwusizo, ukuba hlwempu
4. Ukusenga ezimithiyo: Ukuqamba amanga
5. Ukudla wesulele phansi njengenkukhu: Ukwenza izinto ube uphika
6. Ukuqaphe eqolo njengonwabu: Ukuqikelela noma iyiphi ingozi engase ikwehlele
7. Ukuba yinkomo enombala: Ukwaziwa abantu bonke ukuthi ungumuntu onjani
8. Ukungena ngenxeba njengempethu: Ukusondelela umuntu lapho ebuthaka ngakhona
9. Ukondlela impuku eweni: Ukwenza into engeke yakusiza ngalutho
10. Ukudla ezamahole: Ukuzifaka wena ngokwakho enkingeni
11. Ukuhlangana nezimbila zithutha: Ukuvelelwa yinkinga
12. Ukuwa ngophondo: Ukuba sesimweni esibucayi ongeke ukwazi ukuzikhipha kusona
13. Ukubamba inkunzi ngezimpondo: Ukugasela umuntu oyingozi
14. Ukuwa ngoboya: Kubengozi makhaza
15. Ukukhahlelwa indlovu esifubeni: Ukungabi nesifuba uhamba uhefuza izindaba
16. Ukubik’ imbiba ubik’ ibuzi: Ukusho lokhu nalokhuya uzama ukuzithethelela
17. Ukuseng’ inkomo nethole: Ukungabi nasimilo uyindoda, uzwane nenkosikazi ubuye uzwane nendodakazi
18. Ukutonda esithebeni njengengonyama: Ukwenza into engakhombisi inhlonipho
19. Uluma upholisa njengegundane: Ukuba ngumzenzisi nexoki, wone umuntu ngokwethemba ukuthi uzoxolisa
20. Ukucela empunzini: Ukubaleka ngenhloso yokuziphephisa engozini
21. Ukuginga ithodlane: Ukuphuza udakwe
22. Ukuhlokoz’ inyoka isemgodini wayo: Ukuqala umuntu oyingozi nongahle akwenze kabi
23. Ukukhwela phezu kwendlu njengenja: Ukukhombisa indelelo noma ukugila imikhuba
24. Ukulala ngenkomo: Ukulindela noma isiphi isimo esingahle sikwehlele
25. Ukushaya ingede ngoju: Ukubuyisela ngokubi kumuntu okusizile wakwenzela okuhle
26. Ukubophela amanqin’ enyathi: Ukwethwesa umuntu icala angalenzanga
27. Ukomel’ othini njengentethe: Ukuswela into ungalutholi usizo
28. Ukukheth’ iphela emasini: Ukubandlulula, ube nesandla esivuna labo obathandayo
29. Ukudlel’ emkhombeni wempaka: Ukuhlupheka
30. Ukuphuma kwenqina ebhodweni: Ukuphunyuka komuntu esevinjezelwe

English Translation of above idioms

1. To be very greedy and wanting everything to be yours
2. Having gained nothing after a lot of having put all your energy onto something and expecting good results
3. To be lacking useful things or to be poor.
4. To tell lies
5. Doing things and denying them.
6. To be on a look out of any danger that may come your way.
7. Knowing everyone’s characters and behaviour.
8. Using another person’s weakness to gain access to them
9. Doing something that will not help you at the end
10. Putting yourself into trouble
11. Facing troubles which are of a bigger challenge
12. To be in a situation where you can’t really help yourself out but need someone to help you out
13. To attack and face head on someone who is dangerous
14. Unfortunate incident
15. Being unable to keep a secret
16. Saying many different things when asked something that required one answer
17. To be a man with no values on sexual related matters, dating a mother and her daughter at the same time
18. To be disrespectful
19. To hurt someone and making them better at the same time
20. To run away for protection or taking cover
21. To get drunk
22. To offend someone who is potentially dangerous and could hurt you
23. To be very cheeky
24. To await anything that could happen to you
25. To hurt or destroy in return someone who has done you a lot of good
26. To blame someone or claim someone has done something wrong meanwhile they are innocent
27. To be helpless and without anyone to assist you in a particular thing you need help with
28. To escape when you’ve been tightly corned
29. To be poor
30. To be picky and chose only those that are closer to you

Izisho ezimayelana nezimila

1. Ukuthezela entanjeni: Ukuzilinganisela noma ukwenza into engangamandla akho
2. Ukuthunga intebe: Ukwenza into engasoze yaphumelela
3. Ukuzalelwa esithebeni: Ukuzalwa ngabazali abami kahle, ungasweli lutho
4. Ukuphind’ iminyane isibhuliwe: Angikwazi ukukhuluma udaba oselukhulunyiwe
5. Ukudl’ imbuya ngothi: Ukuswela ukudla, umuntu ophila kalusizi
6. Ukuhlub’ dlubu ekhasini: Ukuchaza ingcaca ubeke izinto obala
7. Uthinte ubhece esafinya: Ukuba hlwempu, uyisilambi
8. Ukwanda ngomlomo njengebhenge: Ukukhuluma kakhulu kanti ukwenza kuyakwehlula
9. Ukushaya ngemfe iphindiwe: Ukuhlohla noma ukuyenga umuntu, noma ukumenza ezibukwayo
10. Ukuthukusela [umuntu] ugaba othuthwini: Ukufihlela umuntu iqiniso bese umvezela engasalindele
11. Ukufihl’ induku emqubeni: Ukufihla isu noma into ozomangaza ngayo unqobe
12. Ukuthela muva njengembumba: Ukunganakwa noma ubeka iseluleko okumele silandelwe baze bazisole kamuva ukuthi ukuba bebekulalele ngabe ububi abuvelanga
13. Ukukhamel’ ikhambi ekhanda: Ukuphatha ngesihluku nonya, ukufundisa umuntu isifundo angena kusilibala
14. Ukutheza olunenkume: Ukuzilandela inkathazo
15. Ukumuka ngendle njengamabele: Ukunyamalala, ukuhamba ungavalelisi
16. Ukushisela imbudle: Ukufaka umuntu enkathazweni
17. Ukugaya izibozi: Ukuthukuthela kakhulu
18. Ukuba nhlangazimuka nomoya: Ukungabikho kosizo, isimo esibucayi siyabhebhetheka
19. Ukushiy’ induk’ ebandla: Ukuzala umntwana oyosala wena sewafa noma ukubeka iqhaza kokwenziwayo
20. Ukuncind’ uthi lomkhangala: Ukulandelwa amashwa
21. Ukuthint’ ukhuni lombangandlala: Ukwenza into engenampumelelo, ukubuya ulambatha, ukuzifaka enkingeni

English Translation of Zulu Idioms associated with nature or trees

1. To do what your strength can carry
2. To do something that will never succeed
3. To be born in a rich family and hardly ever be in want
4. To refuse to repeat what has been discussed already
5. Poverty stricken
6. To explain something that is very clear and obvious.
7. To be really poor
8. To have a lot to say and little of action
9. To deal with a person severely
10. To hide the truth from someone and only reveal it when they have forgotten about it or less expect it
11. To surprise
12. Doing something without and positive outcome
13. To teach someone a lesson they could never forget
14. To attract bad things for yourself
15. To disappear without a trace and not even say goodbye
16. Making another person to worry
17. To be very angry
18. Things going from bad to worst
19. Leaving a good mark behind for people to follow on the good example
20. Being followed by bad luck everywhere you go
21. When you give advice to people and they don’t listen or pay attention to you until something bad happens then they regret for not listening

By: Nelisiwe Hlongwane
Translation by: Mbusiswa Zuma