Look/Watch in Zulu


To look is bhe-ka in Zulu.


Translating this one is tricky.  Older kids look after young ones.  You look for socks under the bed.  You look left and right before crossing the road.  It also means watch, as in, don’t try anything because I’m watching you.  It also means protecting, I’ve got your back.
It also means somebody looked for something, found it and acted upon it like going to live in another part of the country or different continent altogether. 

·         Wa-bheka e-Sao Paulo (He went to Sao Paulo).

·         Wa-bhe-ka e-Kharkiv (He went to Kharkiv).
Bhe-ka. You pronounce the first part like bad, the second like kamala, an Indian word.

ZULU
ENGLISH
Ni-bhe-ke-phi?
Where are you going?
Si-bhe-ke e-Montreal.
We are going to Montreal.
Bheka.
A boy’s name meaning look/watch.
Bhekani.
A boy’s name meaning many people should look/watch.
Bhe-ka is the shortened name.
Bhekumuzi.
A boy’s name meaning look after the home.  Maybe that is what the parents want the child to do when he grows up.
Bhe-ki is the shortened name.
Bhekifa.
A boy’s name with two possible meanings.  The one who will look after the family’s wealth, or the one who will hunger for it, even causing havoc among the family.
Bhe-ki is the shortened name.
Bhekisizwe.
A boy’s name meaning look after the nation, a popular name after a country’s independence from England, France, Germany, Russia etc.
Bhe-ki is the shortened name.
Babhekile.
A girl’s name meaning they are watching.
Bhe-ka pha-mbi-li.
Look ahead.
Bhe-ka e-mu-va.
Look behind you.
Bhe-ka i-nga-ne.  Ngi-ya-bu-ya.
Look after the child.  I’m coming back.
Bhe-ka mi-na ha-yi u-ma-ma.
Look at me, not my mother (new bride complaining about mother-in-law to her husband).
Melissa, bhe-ka i-bho-dwe li-nga-shi.
Melissa, watch the pot.  The food should not burn.
Mu-sa u-ku-bhe-ka i-la-nga.
Don’t look at the sun.
U-bhe-ka u-go-go e-mi-ni.
She looks after grandmother during the day.
O-ne-si ba-bhe-ka i-zi-gu-li.
Nurses look after patients.
O-do-ko-te-la ba-bhe-ka i-ziguli.
Doctors look after patients.
By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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