Unyaka omutsha omnandi
Unyaka omutsha omnandi is the Xhosa way to say Happy New Year.
Meaning: Happy New Year (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of unyaka (year), omutsha (new) and omnandi (pleasant/sweet/nice), literally translating to "A new pleasant year".
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjectives omutsha and omnandi use the o- prefix to agree with the noun unyaka.
Did you know?
- Because omnandi is also used to describe delicious food, telling someone unyaka omnandi carries a subtle sensory connotation of 'a delicious year'.
- While Unyaka omutsha omnandi is the standard greeting, social gatherings during the New Year often involve the traditional drinking of umqombothi, a fermented maize beer.
- Xhosa is a tonal language, meaning the pitch used to say unyaka can change the meaning of the word entirely.
Examples in context
- Unyaka omutsha omnandi kuwe!Happy New Year to you!
- Unyaka omutsha omnandi kuwe.Happy New Year to you.
- Sithi unyaka omutsha omnandi kwintsapho yonke.We say happy new year to the whole family.
Example conversation
Lwazi and Siyabonga meet on January 1st.
- LwaziMolo Siyabonga, unyaka omutsha omnandi!Hello Siyabonga, happy New Year!
- SiyabongaEnkosi Lwazi, nawe unyaka omutsha omnandi.Thanks Lwazi, happy New Year to you too.
- LwaziUbe nengomuso entle kule nyaka.May you have a beautiful future this year.
- SiyabongaNdiyabulela kakhulu, molo Lwazi.Thank you very much, hello Lwazi.
