enkosi
The Xhosa phrase for thank you is enkosi.
enkosi is an expression of gratitude used to show appreciation.
Meaning: an expression of gratitude (intj)
How does it change in a sentence?
enkosi can be used as a standalone exclamation to express gratitude, much like the English "thanks" or "thank you". To say "thank you very much", you can add the word kakhulu after the phrase to get enkosi kakhulu. The word kakhulu means "much" or "greatly".
Did you know?
- The word enkosi shares the same root as inkosi, which refers to a king or a chief. This suggests that expressing gratitude was historically linked to the act of acknowledging a leader's benevolence.
- Xhosa employs 'click' sounds in many words, but enkosi is a phrase that does not contain any clicks, making it an accessible entry point for beginners.
- In some rural contexts, a person might respond to enkosi not with a 'you are welcome' but with a reciprocal enkosi to acknowledge the mutual benefit of the exchange.
Examples in context
- Enkosi kakhulu ngeleta yakho.Thank you very much for your letter.This example shows how to use enkosi when thanking someone for a letter.Tatoeba #1765258 by wwkudu, translation #64421 by CM
- Enkosi!Thank you!This example shows enkosi used as a simple exclamation.Tatoeba #1735098 by wwkudu, translation #374827 by sysko
- Enkosi kakhulu ngencedo yakho.Thank you very much for your help.
Example conversation
Nomvula gives Siyabonga a gift.
- NomvulaNantsi iyakho, Siyabonga.Here is yours, Siyabonga.
- SiyabongaEnkosi, Nomvula!Thank you, Nomvula!
- NomvulaWamkelekile.You are welcome.
- SiyabongaIyakunceda kakhulu.It helps a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
