O.K. in Zulu

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Mikal Bridges Phoenix Suns, team playing Milwaukee Bucks
in the 2021 season Final. 

Good.  Great. Fine. O.K is lunga in Zulu.  When you are in Southern Africa, you will hear the question, ku-njani?  How are you? The response is usually, ku-lu-ngile.  I’m fine. I’m good. Great.

It is the same response all over the world because it is anti-social to be an open book about your feelings and the potholes in your life.  People will shun you at work and call you depressing.  It is much better to say, I’m great and everybody pretends to be happy.
Lu-nga.  You pronounce the first part as in Luigi, the second part as in lung.  When you add -sa- at the end of the verb, it becomes prepare, make good, lu-ngi-sa.

ZULU
ENGLISH
Lunga.
A boy’s name.  The family felt it was good that the child was born.
Lu-ngi-le.
A girl’s name.  The family was happy the child was born.
Ba-lu-ngi-le.
A girl’s name, which means everybody is fine.
Ba-lu-ngisa i-sonto.
They are preparing the church.
Ba-lu-ngi-sa i-mosque.
They are preparing the mosque.
Ba-zo-lunga nini?
When will they be ready?
Ni-zo-lu-nga nini?
When will you be ready?
Pedro, u-zo-lu-nga nini?
Pedro, when will you be ready?
Isabella, u-zo-lu-nga nini?
Isabella, when will you be ready?
Lu-ngi-sa imali.
Prepare the money.
Lu-ngi-sa i-nya-ma.
Prepare the meat.
Lu-ngi-sa u-mako-ti.
Prepare the bride (make-up, hair etc.).
Lu-ngi-sa.  Si-ha-mbe.
Get ready.  So that we can go.
Zo-nke i-zi-nto zi-lu-ngi-le.
Everything is ready.
It’s all systems go.

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang

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