amanzi
/ámáːnzi/
amanzi is the Zulu word for water.
amanzi refers to the liquid that falls as rain and is used for drinking and washing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a plural noun in the noun class 6, which is why it begins with the prefix ama-.
How do you pronounce it?
/ámáːnzi/
Did you know?
- In Zulu, the concept of 'water' extends to the term amanzi amhlophe, which literally means 'white water' but refers to clear, pure water.
- In many traditional Zulu ceremonies, pouring amanzi is a symbolic act used to communicate with ancestors, effectively using the liquid as a spiritual medium.
- The word amanzi derives from the Proto-Bantu ancestor *màjíjɪ̀, a term that has remained remarkably consistent across many Bantu-speaking groups for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- Ngifuna amanzi.I want water.
- Ngicela amanzi abandayo.Please give me cold water.
Example conversation
Sipho and Zanele are sitting in a kitchen on a hot afternoon.
- SiphoZanele, ngicela amanzi.Zanele, please give me some water.
- ZaneleNanka amanzi abandayo, Sipho.Here is the cold water, Sipho.
- SiphoNgiyabonga kakhulu.Thank you very much.
- ZaneleKulungile, Sipho.You are welcome, Sipho.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry amanzi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amanzi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
