sawubona
familiar
The Zulu phrase for "good afternoon" is sawubona. Wiktionary also lists sanibonani.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Zulu | Note |
|---|---|
| sawubona | familiar |
| sanibonani | plural |
While often translated as "good afternoon", this greeting is versatile and is also used for "good morning" and "good day".
Which one should you use?
sanibonani is the plural form used when greeting more than one person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form sanibonani literally translates to "I see you (plural)" and is used specifically when addressing a group.
Did you know?
- While sawubona is used for individuals, using the plural sanibonani for a single person can be a sign of extreme respect or a way to acknowledge the ancestors accompanying that person.
- The 'we' in the root siyakubona can represent the speaker acting on behalf of their family or community, emphasizing collective identity over individualism.
- The greeting sawubona is actually a way of acknowledging the other person's existence and presence in the world.
Examples in context
- Sawubona emini, mama.Good afternoon, mother.
- Sawubona emini, baba.Good afternoon, father.
- Sawubona emini, mnumzane.Good afternoon, sir.
Example conversation
Mlungisi and Thandeka meet on a street in the afternoon.
- MlungisiSawubona, Thandeka.Good afternoon, Thandeka.
- ThandekaYebo, sawubona Mlungisi.Yes, good afternoon Mlungisi.
- MlungisiUyaqala ukusebenza?Are you starting work?
- ThandekaYebo, ngiyaqala.Yes, I am starting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries sawubona, sanibonani, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
