Café & Drinks

1. Ndicela ikomityi yeti

   ndi-cela i-komityi ye-ti

   I would like a cup of tea

   Usage

   Ordering a cup of tea

   Grammar Note

   ndicela means "I request/please" — a polite way to order. Tea is iti (borrowed from English "tea", class 9, plural iiti). ikomityi is class 9, so its possessive concord ya- contracts with iti to give yeti. Note that itiye is the isiZulu form (from Afrikaans "tee", class 5, plural amatiye) and is not used in isiXhosa

2. Ndifuna amanzi abandayo

   ndi-funa a-manzi a-bandayo

   I want cold water

   Usage

   Requesting cold water

   Grammar Note

   abandayo is the ama- class adjective "cold"

3. Ninayo ijusi yelamuni?

   ni-na-yo i-jusi ye-lamuni?

   Do you have lemon juice?

   Usage

   Asking if lemon juice is available

   Grammar Note

   ni-na-yo is the possession construction "you (pl.) have it"

4. Ndicela amanzi ekhokhonathi

   ndi-cela a-manzi e-khokhonathi

   I would like coconut water

   Usage

   Ordering coconut water

   Grammar Note

   ekhokhonathi = a- (possessive linker agreeing with amanzi) + ikhokhonathi (coconut); a + i fuse to e, giving "coconut water"

5. Ngaphandle kweswekile

   nga-phandle kwe-swekile

   Without sugar please

   Usage

   Specifying no sugar

   Grammar Note

   ngaphandle kwe is a prepositional phrase meaning "without"

6. Ndifuna enye ikomityi

   ndi-funa e-nye i-komityi

   I want another cup

   Usage

   Asking for another cup

   Grammar Note

   enye means "another/other" agreeing with ikomityi

7. Bayathengisa utywala apha?

   ba-ya-thengisa u-tywala apha?

   Do they sell alcohol here?

   Usage

   Asking if alcohol is sold here

   Grammar Note

   ba-ya-thengisa is the third-person plural present "they sell"

8. Le jusi imnandi kakhulu

   le jusi i-mnandi kakhulu

   This juice is very delicious

   Usage

   Commenting on how good a drink tastes

   Grammar Note

   kakhulu is the degree adverb "very/a lot"

9. Gcwalisa iglasi, nceda

   gcwalisa i-glasi, nceda

   Please fill the glass

   Usage

   Asking someone to fill your glass

   Grammar Note

   nceda means "please/help me" — used as a polite marker

10. Andiphuzi utywala

    a-ndi-phuzi u-tywala

    I don't drink alcohol

    Usage

    Saying you do not drink alcohol

    Grammar Note

    a-ndi- is the first-person negative prefix "I don't"

11. Amanzi ebhotile

    Bottled water

    Usage

    Ask for sealed bottled water

12. Amanzi ashushu

    Hot water

    Usage

    Ask for hot water

13. Ngaphandle komkhenkce

    No ice

    Usage

    Ask for your drink without ice

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