Haircut in Zulu

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Need a haircut?  A haircut is gu-nda in Zulu.  It also applies to cutting grass with a lawn mower.

During colonization, African school children in South Africa were forced to shave their heads. British school principals said our hair had lice. White kids, had long hair they tied with ribbons.  Old apartheid photos are quite a revelation.


Spike Lee’s first film was Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.  A brilliant student film, which was followed by more awesome ones.  In the olden days in Africa, family members shaved their heads when someone died.  There are certain faiths in India that forbid cutting hair.
Gu-nda.  You say the first part like good, the second like Andalusia in Spain.

ZULU
ENGLISH
Ngi-yo-gunda.
I’m going for a haircut.
Ngi-zo-gunda ku-sa-sa.
I’ll have a haircut tomorrow.
Ha-mba u-yo-gunda.
Go and have a haircut.
Guido, ha-mba u-yo-gu-nda.
Guido, go and get a haircut.
Jacques, ha-mba u-yo-gu-nda.
Jacques, go and get a haircut.
U-ba-ba u-gu-nda u-Leo.
Father is giving Leo a haircut.
U-Leo u-gu-nda u-ba-ba-mkhulu.
Leo is giving grandfather a haircut.
Basile, u-gu-ndi-le?
Basile, you cut your hair?
Tamsin, u-gu-ndi-le?
Tamsin, you cut your hair?
Vladimir, gu-nda u-tshani.
Vladimir mow the lawn.
A-ba-gu-ndi.
They don’t cut their hair (because of religion).
Si-ya-gu-nda.
We cut hair (signs outside barbers’ shops).
I-ma-li-ni u-ku-gu-nda?
How much is a haircut?
20 dollars u-ku-gu-nda.
The haircut is 20 dollars.

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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