boil something in zulu

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Bila is boiling, as in boiling water or mama being mad as hell because you posted happy birthday on Facebook instead of telling her at home.  Summer is here and folks who live in lucky states of North America will have days where it will be boiling hot.  Some of us live in parts of the world that are anti-summer.

The act of boiling something is bili-sa.  Where do you boil water for your tea, in the kettle or microwave?  Boiling vegetables for a long time kills their goodness.
Bi-la.  I can’t think of an English equivalent for the first part. Let’s just say it is a soft ‘b’.  Please don’t say bilateral, biro or bike.   It sounds more like milk, but with a ‘b’.  The second part of the verb is pronounced like Lazarus.

ZULU
ENGLISH
Amanzi aya-bila.
Water is boiling.
Bi-li-sa amanzi.
Boil water.
Bi-li-sa amanzi kwi-microwave.
Boil water in the microwave.
I-ketelo liya-bila.
The kettle is boiling.
Bi-li-sa umbila.
Boil some corn.
Bi-li-sa imifino.
Boil some greens.
Utshwala bu-ya-bila.
The home brew is boiling.
Inya-ma iya-bila.
The meat is boiling.
I-broccoli iya-bila.
Broccoli is boiling.
I-thanga li-ya-bila.
The pumpkin in boiling.
I-nkukhu iya-bila.
The chicken is boiling.
U-Louisa uyabila.  Udiniwe.
Louisa is boiling.  She is very angry.
U-Phindi uyabila.  Udiniwe.
Phindi is boiling.  She is very angry.
Nonqaba waka Msimang is the author of Sweetness, a South African novel.

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