ngiyakuthanda
In Ndebele, "I love you" is expressed as ngiyakuthanda.
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ngiyakuthanda breaks down into ngi- (I), -ya- (present continuous marker), -ku- (you) and -thanda (love).
Which one should you use?
While ngiyakuthanda is used when speaking to one person, you should use ngiyanithanda when addressing more than one person or when you wish to show respect to a single person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ngiyakuthanda uses the singular object concord -ku-, which is used when speaking to one person. To address more than one person or to use the honorific form for a single person, the object concord changes from -ku- to -ni- in ngiyanithanda.
Did you know?
- While ngiyakuthanda is romantic, Ndebele uses the same root -thanda to describe liking a specific food or object, blending the concepts of 'love' and 'like' into one word.
- The use of ngiyanithanda to show respect to a single elder is an example of the 'honorific plural', where treating one person as 'many' is a sign of high status.
- The root -thanda is a cognate shared with Zulu, meaning that ngiyakuthanda is mutually intelligible between Ndebele and Zulu speakers.
Examples in context
- Ngiyakuthanda, mntanamiI love you, my child
- Ngiyakutsandza, sthandwa samiI love you, my love
- Ngiyakuthanda sithandwa sami.I love you, my beloved.
- Ngiyakuthanda kakhulu.I love you very much.
Example conversation
A couple sharing a quiet moment together.
- ThandekaMbuso, ngiyakuthanda.Mbuso, I love you.
- MbusoNam ngiyakuthanda, Thandeka.I love you too, Thandeka.
- ThandekaUyazi ukuthi ubalulekile kimi.You know that you are important to me.
- MbusoNgiyakuthanda njalo.I love you always.
