molweni
[molʷéːni]
The English phrase "good morning" is translated into Xhosa as molweni.
Molweni is used to say "good morning" or to offer "greetings" when you see someone for the first time in the morning.
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
Which one should you use?
Use molweni when you are greeting a group of people. If you are greeting only one person, use the singular form molo instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form molweni is the plural form used to greet a group of people. For an individual, you would use the singular form molo.
Did you know?
- Using the plural molweni for a single person of very high status can sometimes be a way to show extreme respect, treating the individual as a collective entity.
- The greeting molo is not actually a phrase meaning 'good morning', but is actually a way of saying 'hail' or 'salute'.
- Xhosa belongs to the Bantu language family, which uses a complex system of noun classes that determines how the plural ending in molweni is formed.
Example conversation
Thando greets Andiswa and her family at the breakfast table.
- ThandoMolweni nonke.Good morning everyone.
- AndiswaMolo, Thando.Good morning, Thando.
- ThandoLinjani ukuphumla?How was your rest?
- AndiswaSiphumle kakuhle, enkosi.We rested well, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry molweni, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
