Lesson 004 - Ngatidye Chikafu

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Today’s lesson is entitled Ngatidye Chikafu which means “Let’s eat food!”

Kudya - To Eat

If you remember how to say “I am” doing something, from lesson 3, you will understand the following “Shonglish” sentance quickly.  ”Shonglish” as you may guess, is a mixture of Shona and English.  Using Shonglish is a great way for English speakers to memorize words and phrases in Shona, and then fill in the gaps, that is, the english words, as they learn them with time.  Here’s a Shonglish sentance that you should be able to understand:

Ndiri kudya hamburger

This sentance says - “I am eating a hamburger”

Remember how you learned that “ku” means “to” in shona?  So when we say “kudya” it means “to eat.”

So how do we say just the word “eat?”

We say:  Idya

Idya - This means “eat”

This is how you would tell someone to eat something.  Simply say “Idya,” followed by the name of the food.

I have a baby nephew named Munashe who we’ve been teaching Shona since he was born.  For those of you who are curious, Munashe means “You have the Lord.”  With Munashe, we try our best to use short phrases to get him to understand quickly.  So when I want him to eat his porridge, all I say is:

“Idya Porridge”

If you still remember how to say “Go” from our last lesson… “enda,” this is exactly what I say to Munashe when I want him to go.  I simply say:

“Enda”

When you learn these short commands, you will be surprised how much you can communicate with people already.  If you put their name in front of the command, you already have a complete sentance.

Munashe Enda! - means “Munashe, go!”

Enda Munashe - means “Go Munashe”

Munashe Idya! - means, “Munashe eat!”

Something I say every morning to Munashe is, “Ngatidye Porridge.”  Can you guess what this means?

Ngatidye Porridge means “Let’s eat porridge”.

The title of today’s lesson is “Ngatidye Chikafu”

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Chikafu - Food.

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Here’s a short story entitled Ngatidye Chikafu that you will recite at the end of this lesson.  And Today, we have a very special guest with us.  Her name is Zvikomborero Matavire.  Again for those of you who are curious, Zvikomborero means “blessings.”  It literally means “A whole bunch of blessings,” which is exactly what she brings.

Zviko:  Mhoroi vatereri.  Makadini?

Zviko has just greeted you saying “Hello listeners.  How are you.”

If any of you guys have Zimbabwean friends, they may be familiar with the late “Paul Matavire” who was a famous Zimbabwean musician starting in the 1980’s.  Today our guest Zvikomborero Matavire, is a neice to the late Paul Matavire.  So we can say we have a semi-celebrity in the studio.

Zviko: Masikati Kudzai

Kudzi: Masikati Zviko, waswera sei?

Zviko: Ah, ini ndaswera mushe.  Ko iwewe?

Kudzi: Ha-a, ini ndaswera, asi ndavane (ndane) nzara!

Zviko: Ho nhai?  Ah, saka urikuda kudya?

Kudzi: Ehe ndirikuda kudya.  Asi Ndodya chinyi?

Zviko: Ini Nda-bika sadza ne derere. Unoda kudya sadza ne derere here?

Kudzi: Ehe, manje ndo (ndicho) chinonzi chikafu ichocho.

Zviko: Saka Ngatidye chikafu

That’s our story.  Let’s begin disecting it, so we can recite it together.

———–

Masikati - Good Afternoon.  Remember how to say Good morning?  ”Mangwanani.”  Masikati means good afternoon.

When we said good morning, back in Episode 2, the response was as follows:

Magwanani Zviko? - Good morning Zviko?

Magwanani Kudzai Warara Sei? - Good morning Kudzai.  How did you sleep?

Ndarara - I slept well

Warara sei?  Means “How did you sleep?”

In the Afternoon we say “How have you spent you day?”

Lets try it:

Masikati Zviko - Good afternoon Zviko

Masikati Kudzi waswera sei? - Good afternoon Kudzi. How have you spent your day?

Ndaswera - I spent the day well

Waswera sei? - You say this after hearing “Good afternoon.” It means… “How have you spent your day?”

Ndaswera - This means “I spent my day well”.  Just like “Ndarara” which means “I slept well”

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Ah, ini ndaswera mushe - Ah, I spent my day well

“Ah” is not really a word.  Remember, in shona we have expressions like Ah, or Haaa-a (from back in episode 2).  These words are not words, but just expressions.

Ini Ndaswera - Ini is a way to say “Me”.  And Ndaswera means - I’ve spent the day.

Mushe - Mushe is a word used to say “fine” or “Well”.

Ko iwewe - What about you?

Ko  - is another non-word which people use to precede a question.  Ko zvirisei?  ”How is it?”  >  Where Ko is equivalent to a spoken question mark.

Iwewe - Means you.

Ko iwewe?  What about you?

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Ha-a, ini ndaswera - Ha-a, me I spent the day well.

Ha-a - Is an expression which we used in lesson 2.  Just like “Ah”, its used as an expression to precede a sentance.

Ini - I

Ndaswera - I spent my day well

(Well is implied in the word “Ndaswera”).  When someone says “Ndaswera” its like saying in English > “I had a good day.

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Asi Ndavane (ndane) nzara - But I’m now hungry.  Or But I have hunger

Asi - means, “But”

Ndavane (Ndane) - Now I have.  Its fully pronounced “Ndavane”; however, in speaking Shona, speakers abbreviate and say “Ndane” - I have

Nzara - Hunger.  Hungry.

Ndine Nzara - I am hungry

Ndavane Nzara - I am now hungry

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Ho Nhai? - Oh, Really.  In shona you will hear speakers always say “Ho”

Ho - Means “Oh”

Nhai? - Means “really?”

Can you guess what:

“Une Nzara nhai?” means?

Une Nzara nhai - Would mean.. “You’re really hungry huh?” OR “Are you really hungry?”

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Ah Saka - Ah, So.  Saka means so.  If I say “Saka une nzara nhai?” - This Means - “So are you really hungry?”

Uri kuda - You want to?

If you listen to this phrase -

Uri - Means you.

Ku - Is a 2 letter prefix to say “to”.

da - Is a 2 letter prefix for “Want”

Uri kuda - You want to

Kudya - To Eat.

If I want to ask “You want to eat?” - I will say “Uri Kuda Kudya?”

Can you guess what this means:  ”Ndiri kuda kudya.”

“Ndiri kuda kudya” - I want to eat.

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Ehe - Ehe is shona for “Yes.”  If you hear the sound of the word “Ehe” it sounds much like “Aha” in english.

Ndirikuda - I want

kudya - To  Eat

Ehe ndiri kuda kudya - Yes, I want to eat.

Asi - Again means “but” or “however” in English.

“Ndodya chinyi” - What should I eat

Ndodya - Means “I eat”.  Have you noticed, that words that begin with “Nd” are usually referring to “I”.  If you listen to the word “Ndo” “dya”

dya - Is the prefix for the word “eat”.  If I say “Uri kudya”  What do you think it means?

Uri Kudya - You are eating

Chinyi - The word for “what” in shona.  Chinyi?  If I say:

“Unoda chinyi?” - This means “What do you want?”

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Ini  - I

Ndabika - I cooked.  Look at the word “nda bika”  ”Nd” for I.  And

Bika - Which means “Cook”

Ndabika - I cooked

If I say Uri kubika - What does this mean?

Uri Kubika - Means “You are cooking”

Sadza - Sadza is the staple food of Zimbabwe.  Its corn or maize meal, and in Africa, its what people eat for lunch and/or dinner.  Mixed with Soup, meat, and vegetables, it makes a meal.  People can refer to the whole mean as “Sadza”.  At home, if we call people for dinner we say:

“Huyayi tidye sadza” - Come and lets eat Sadza.

Ne - With.

Ne is a 2 letter word or prefix that means “and.”  Sadza ne derere

Derere - This is shona for Okra.

If we say Sadza ne Derere - This means “Sadza and Derere.”

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Unoda kudya sadza ne derere here? - Do you want to eat Sadza and Derere?

Unoda - Do you hear a 2 letter prefix in this word?  I hear “da” which is a prefix meaning “want”

If I say Ndi no da - This would mean “I want”

Unoda - Means “Do you want?”  We’ve seen the prefix “U” in several words meaning “You”.  If I say “Uri kudya”.  Remember this means “You are eating”

Unoda - You want

Kudya - To Eat

Sadza ne Derere - Sadza and Derere

Here - This is another question mark that follows a sentance.  Remember the word “Ko” that in spoken shona people use as a question mark in the beginning of a sentance?  Here is also a question mark word which we put at the end of a question.  This word is not used on all sentances, but is used on sentances where you are asing a person their desire.

“Une Nzara here?” - Are you hungry

Unoda kudya sadza ne derere here? - Do you want to eat Sadza and Derere?

So in shona, we have question mark words in the beginning of a sentance.  These are not mandatory; however, they enhance your sentance.  For example:

Ko, hwaswera sei? - Means “How are did you spend your day?”

Or “Ko, Zvirisei?” - Means - How is it?  Or what’s up?

“Hwaneta here?” - Are you tired?

—————-

Ehe - Yes

Manje - Now.  Manje is actully not a shona word, but was adopted into our language from zulu.  It means “now.”

Ndicho (ndo) - That.  Ndicho means “That”.  In spoken shona, its abbreviated “Ndo”.  Ndicho Chikafu - Means, that is the food.

Chikafu - Food.  Chikafu is a very important word because if you want to eat, you need to know the word “Chikafu”.

Ndicho chikafu - That is food.

Ichocho - That one right there.  As in “chingwa ichocho” - That bread.  With “Chingwa” meaning bread.  ”Ndicho chingwa ichocho” - Thats the bread right there.

Ndicho chikafu ichocho - That the food right there.

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Saka - So

Ngatidye - Lets eat

Chikafu - Food