phola
The Xhosa word for the adjective 'cool' is phola.
phola is used to describe something that has a slightly low temperature.
Meaning: having a slightly low temperature (adj)
Did you know?
- A person might say uyaphola to mean 'you are recovering' if they are referring to someone getting better from an illness, moving the meaning from temperature to health.
- Unlike English where 'cool' is a common slang for 'fashionable', using a derivative of phola to mean 'trendy' would not be understood by a Xhosa speaker.
- While phola refers to temperature, the word pholisa is a common causative form used to mean 'to soothe' or 'to calm' a person's emotions.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about the weather outside.
- LwaziKuse phola ngaphandle, Lwazi.It is cool outside, Lwazi.
- LwaziEwe, ndiyayiva.Yes, I feel it.
- LwaziNgaba uyafuna i-jacket?Do you want a jacket?
- LwaziAndiyifuni, ndiyayithanda imoyaphola.I don't want it, I like the cool air.
