-hle
The Ndebele word for beautiful is -hle.
The term is an adjective used to describe something or someone that is attractive.
Meaning: attractive (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix -hle must be prefixed with the appropriate noun class concord to agree with the noun it modifies.
Did you know?
- A 'beautiful' arrangement of beads in Ndebele culture is not just about the pattern, but can communicate a person's marital status or social standing.
- The sound of the 'hl' in -hle is a lateral fricative, a sound produced by blowing air past the sides of the tongue, which does not exist in standard English.
- In Ndebele, describing an object as -hle can imply it is 'well-made' or 'properly constructed' rather than just pretty to look at.
Examples in context
- Ntombi enhle, unjani?Beautiful girl, how are you?
- umntwana omuhleA beautiful child
- izinto ezinhleBeautiful things
