Serve Food in Zulu

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Serving food is pha-ka in Zulu.


This blog offers Zulu lessons when time permits.  Isi-Zulu is one of the languages spoken in South Africa, where the umbilical cord is buried.  It is also spoken in neighbouring countries like Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

Pha-ka is the comprehensive action from the source (pot) to the final destination, which could be a table or someone sitting under a tree.

Kids don’t have jobs.  They play, eat and sleep.  There is even a rhyme they sing when they play in the evening, just before electricity is switched on:  Bakhanya ogesi, sekuzophakwa meaning, lights are on, food will be served.  Aaayi!  These guys are something else.  Well!  They better rush home before mothers come out, hands on their hips and shout their names.

Traditionally, strangers who dropped by on their way to another part of the country were given food and shelter. It was in the spirit of u-bu-ntu, treating a human being the way you would like to be treated.

Pha-ka also means preparing for war, drawing a military strategy that deploys manpower into regiments based on age, experience or skill in certain weapons.

Pha-ka.  You say the first part like palm and the last part like karma.

ZULU
ENGLISH
Umama uyaphaka.
Mother is serving food.
Uzophaka nini mama ka-Mary?
Mary’s mother, when will you serve food?
Ngizophaka khona manje.
I’ll serve food just now.
Phaka kancane.
Give me just a little bit of food.
Musa ukuphaka kakhulu.
Don’t serve too much.
Ubani ozophaka?
Who will serve the food?
U-Nandini ozophaka.
Nandini will serve the food.
U-Linda ozophaka.
Linda will serve the food.
Gogo, ngicela ungiphakele.
Grandma, please give me some food.
Phaka masinyane ngilambile.
Serve quickly.  I’m hungry.
Phaka-ni bo!  Izingane zilambile.
Serve food now.  The kids are hungry.
By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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