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◊ᴺᵉˣᵃˡ ◊ᴸᵃᵗⁱⁿᵘᵐ ◊ᶻᵘˡᵘ ◊ᴸᵉˢˢᵒⁿ⁵⁷ ◊ˢᵉᵇᵉⁿᶻⁱˢᵃ
Welcome to Lesson 57 of the Latinum Institute isiZulu course. This lesson focuses on the English verb “use” and its isiZulu equivalent -sebenzisa.
What does “use” mean in isiZulu?
IsiZulu has no separate root meaning “use”. It builds the idea from the verb -sebenza, “to work”, by adding the causative extension -is-. To use a thing is to make it work.
-sebenza — to work
-sebenzisa — to make work, that is, to use
This is not an etymological curiosity to be noted and forgotten. It is the ordinary machinery of the language, and the same extension produces a large part of the Zulu vocabulary a learner will meet. Once the pattern is visible, hundreds of words stop needing to be memorised separately.
-funda (learn) → -fundisa (teach, make learn)
-bona (see) → -bonisa (show, make see)
-hamba (go) → -hambisa (send, make go)
-landela (follow) → -landelisa (make follow, pursue)
The last of these appeared in the Lesson 56 citation, where a chief made his army follow. Lesson 55 gave -buyisa, to bring back, from -buya, to return. The extension has been at work in this course for several lessons; here it is named.
Course Index:
https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Key Takeaways:
-sebenzisa is the causative of -sebenza and means “use”
The causative extension is -is-, inserted before the final vowel
Umsebenzi is “work”, a class 3 noun from the same root
Ukusebenzisa is “using, the use of”, the class 15 infinitive
The extension is productive: fundisa, bonisa, hambisa, buyisa
Verbs in -la often form the causative in -za rather than -isa
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sebenza [sɛˈɓɛːn.za] — “to work”. The b is the implosive /ɓ/.
sebenzisa [sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa] — “to use”. Adding the extension moves the penultimate lengthening one syllable to the right.
umsebenzi [um.sɛˈɓɛːn.zi] — “work, a job”, class 3.
ukusebenzisa [u.ku.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa] — “using”, class 15 infinitive.
ngisebenzisa [ŋi.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa] — “I use”, short present form.
fundisa [funˈdiː.sa] — “teach”, causative of -funda.
Note on stress: IsiZulu lengthens the penultimate syllable, so adding an extension shifts the length. Compare sebenza [sɛˈɓɛːn.za] with sebenzisa [sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa] — the long vowel moves from -be- to -zi-. This is automatic and applies to every extended verb.
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57.1 Ngisebenzisa (ŋi.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) I-use ipeni (iˈpʰeː.ni) a-pen
57.2 Usebenzisa (u.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) you-use kanjani (ka.nˈdʒaː.ni) how lokhu (ˈlɔː.kʰu) this
57.3 Basebenzisa (ɓa.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) they-use amanzi (aˈmaːn.zi) water
57.4 Ngiyasebenza (ŋi.ja.sɛˈɓɛːn.za) I-am-working
57.5 Ngifundisa (ŋi.funˈdiː.sa) I-teach abantwana (a.ɓanˈtwaː.na) the-children
57.6 Sebenzisa (sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) use-IMP lesi (ˈleː.si) this sihlalo (siˈɬaː.lɔ) chair
57.7 Wasebenzisa (wa.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) he-used umuthi (uˈmuː.tʰi) medicine
57.8 Nami (ˈnaː.mi) I-also ngisebenzisa (ŋi.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) I-use lena (ˈleː.na) this-one
57.9 Ngicabanga (ŋi.ǀaˈɓaːŋa) I-think ukuthi (u.kuˈtʰi) that ungasebenzisa (u.ŋa.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) you-may-use leyo (ˈleː.jɔ) that-one
57.10 Umuthi (uˈmuː.tʰi) the-medicine wakhe (ˈwaː.kʰɛ) his wasebenza (wa.sɛˈɓɛːn.za) worked
57.11 Asisebenzisi (a.si.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.si) we-do-not-use imoto (iˈmɔː.tɔ) a-car
57.12 Ngibonisa (ŋi.ɓɔˈniː.sa) I-show indlela (inˈɮeː.la) the-way
57.13 Emva (ˈɛːm.va) after kokusebenzisa (kɔ.ku.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) of-using wabuyisa (wa.ɓuˈjiː.sa) he-brought-back
57.14 Umsebenzi (um.sɛˈɓɛːn.zi) the-work wami (ˈwaː.mi) my ulungile (u.luˈŋiː.lɛ) is-good
57.15 Sebenzisa (sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) use-IMP amandla (aˈmaːnɮa) strength akho (ˈaː.kʰɔ) your
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57.1 Ngisebenzisa ipeni. → “I'm using a pen.”
57.2 Usebenzisa kanjani lokhu? → “How do you use this?”
57.3 Basebenzisa amanzi. → “They use water.”
57.4 Ngiyasebenza. → “I'm working.”
57.5 Ngifundisa abantwana. → “I teach children.”
57.6 Sebenzisa lesi sihlalo. → “Use this chair.”
57.7 Wasebenzisa umuthi. → “He used medicine.”
57.8 Nami ngisebenzisa lena. → “I use this one too.”
57.9 Ngicabanga ukuthi ungasebenzisa leyo. → “I think you could use that one.”
57.10 Umuthi wakhe wasebenza. → “His medicine worked.”
57.11 Asisebenzisi imoto. → “We don't use a car.”
57.12 Ngibonisa indlela. → “I'm showing the way.”
57.13 Emva kokusebenzisa wabuyisa. → “After using it he brought it back.”
57.14 Umsebenzi wami ulungile. → “My work is fine.”
57.15 Sebenzisa amandla akho. → “Use your strength.”
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57.1 Ngisebenzisa ipeni.
57.2 Usebenzisa kanjani lokhu?
57.3 Basebenzisa amanzi.
57.4 Ngiyasebenza.
57.5 Ngifundisa abantwana.
57.6 Sebenzisa lesi sihlalo.
57.7 Wasebenzisa umuthi.
57.8 Nami ngisebenzisa lena.
57.9 Ngicabanga ukuthi ungasebenzisa leyo.
57.10 Umuthi wakhe wasebenza.
57.11 Asisebenzisi imoto.
57.12 Ngibonisa indlela.
57.13 Emva kokusebenzisa wabuyisa.
57.14 Umsebenzi wami ulungile.
57.15 Sebenzisa amandla akho.
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Grammar Rules for the Causative in isiZulu:
1. Forming the Causative
The extension -is- is inserted before the final vowel of the stem:
sebenza → sebenz-is-a → sebenzisa
funda → fund-is-a → fundisa
bona → bon-is-a → bonisa
hamba → hamb-is-a → hambisa
buya → buy-is-a → buyisa
The final -a is retained. The resulting verb conjugates exactly like any other: ngisebenzisa, usebenzisa, sasebenzisa, ngizosebenzisa.
2. What the Causative Does
It adds an agent who brings the action about. The subject of the simple verb becomes the object of the causative:
Ngiyasebenza. (I work.)
Ngisebenzisa ipeni. (I make a pen work — I use a pen.)
Umntwana uyafunda. (The child learns.)
Ngifundisa umntwana. (I make the child learn — I teach the child.)
This is why -sebenzisa means “use”. There is no separate word for it because none is needed.
3. Verbs in -la
Stems ending in -la usually form the causative in -za rather than -isa:
-lala (sleep) → -lalisa (put to sleep) — regular
-thula (be quiet) → -thulisa (silence) — regular
But note -gcwala (be full) → -gcwalisa (fill), and the older pattern surviving in some verbs where -la gives -za. The learner should expect occasional irregularity here and check individual verbs.
4. Derived Nouns
The root supplies a family of nouns:
umsebenzi (class 3) — work, a job; plural imisebenzi
isisebenzi (class 7) — a worker, servant
ukusebenza (class 15) — working
ukusebenzisa (class 15) — using, the use of
The class 15 infinitive is a noun and behaves like one, which is why it follows emva kwa- as kokusebenzisa in 57.13 — the construction of Lesson 56.
5. The Extensions Together
IsiZulu verbs may carry several extensions at once, in a fixed order. Those met so far in this course:
-el- applicative: cabangela (think towards), buyela (return to)
-is- causative: sebenzisa (use), landelisa (pursue)
-an- reciprocal: bonana (see each other), sobonana
Combined forms are common: -sebenzisana, “to work together with, to co-operate”, is causative plus reciprocal.
Common Errors to Avoid:
Using -sebenza for “use”: ✗ ngisebenza ipeni → ✓ ngisebenzisa ipeni
Omitting the object: -sebenzisa is transitive and requires one
Wrong negative: ✗ angisebenzisa → ✓ angisebenzisi, with the final -i of Lesson 53
Treating causatives as separate vocabulary: fundisa is not a new word but funda plus -is-
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Umsebenzi
The noun umsebenzi carries more than “work”. It means a job, a task, and also a ritual occasion — a ceremony held for the ancestors is umsebenzi, and the phrase sinomsebenzi ekhaya, “we have a ceremony at home”, would not be understood as overtime. The word thus spans paid labour and ritual obligation, and context alone distinguishes them.
Umuthi and What Works
The citation below turns on whether a medicine sebenza — worked. Umuthi means both a tree and a medicine, and the vocabulary of Zulu healing uses the plain verb of working for efficacy: umuthi uyasebenza, the medicine works. The inyanga, the herbalist, is distinguished from the isangoma, the diviner, and Callaway's texts record both in detail.
Sebenzisa in Modern Life
Ukusebenzisa is everywhere in contemporary isiZulu — on signage, in instructions, in technology vocabulary. Sebenzisa ikhompyutha, sebenzisa imali kahle (use money wisely), indlela yokusebenzisa (method of use). Learners who master the causative gain immediate access to the register of instructions and manuals.
Sebenzisana and Co-operation
The double extension -sebenzisana, to work with one another, is the ordinary word for co-operation and appears constantly in public and political language. Ukusebenzisana is what organisations do together.
Idiomatic Expressions:
Sebenzisa kahle — use it well, use it properly
Indlela yokusebenzisa — instructions for use
Umsebenzi omuhle — good work, well done
Uyasebenza lo muthi — this medicine works
Sinomsebenzi — we have a ceremony
Ukusebenzisana — co-operation
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From Henry Callaway, The Religious System of the Amazulu (1870). Callaway is recording, from Zulu informants, the practice by which a doctor who has treated a patient sends someone to find out privately whether the treatment succeeded — because patients understate their recovery to avoid paying the fee. This is the spy's report.
Part F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Umuti (uˈmuː.tʰi) medicine wako (ˈwaː.kʰɔ) your wa sebenza (wa.sɛˈɓɛːn.za) it-worked kulo (ˈkuː.lɔ) in-this muntu (ˈmuːn.tu) person ba ya ku kohlisa (ɓa.ja.ku.kɔˈɬiː.sa) they-are-deceiving-you u se hamba (u.sɛˈhaː.mɓa) he-now-goes emajadwini (ɛ.ma.dʒaˈdwiː.ni) to-wedding-dances na sematshwaleni (na.sɛ.ma.tʃwaˈleː.ni) and-to-beer-drinkings u se sindile (u.sɛ.sinˈdiː.lɛ) he-is-now-recovered
Part F-B: The Text with Translation
“Umuti wako wa sebenza kulo 'muntu; ba ya ku kohlisa; u se hamba emajadwini na sematshwaleni; u se sindile.”
→ Callaway's own translation: “his medicine worked well in the man; that the people deceive him, and the man now goes to wedding-dances and to beer-drinkings; that he is quite well.”
Part F-C: Original isiZulu Text
“Umuti wako wa sebenza kulo 'muntu; ba ya ku kohlisa; u se hamba emajadwini na sematshwaleni; u se sindile.”
Part F-D: Grammar Commentary
Wa sebenza is the base verb of this lesson in its plain sense: the medicine worked. Callaway translates it “worked”, and the modern -sebenzisa, “to use”, is this verb with the causative added — to make a medicine work is to use it. The citation therefore shows the root from which the lesson's headword is built, in a context where “work” is meant literally.
The causative itself is recorded in the other work in this course's Zulu corpus. Lewis Grout, in The Isizulu: A Grammar of the Zulu Language (1859), lists sebenzisa among his examples of the causative species, glossing it “help work” — an older sense in which the extension implies co-operation or assistance rather than pure causation. Grout notes that the species “often implies intensity, and sometimes aid, or co-operation”, which explains why the modern -sebenzisana means to work together.
Ba ya ku kohlisa contains the verb -kohlisa, itself a causative — from -kohlwa, to be deceived or to forget, giving “to cause to be deceived”. The same verb appeared in the Lesson 54 citation, where Uthlakanyana deceived people. Two causatives therefore stand in this short passage.
Na sematshwaleni shows the additive na- of Lesson 54, here joining two locatives: “to wedding-dances and to beer-drinkings”.
U se sindile is the perfect in -ile with the marker se: “he is by now recovered”, the completed state met in Lesson 55 with ubuyile.
Umuti is modern umuthi, and wako is modern wakho — Callaway does not mark aspiration.
Part F-E: Literary Commentary
Callaway's informants describe the arrangement without embarrassment and without much sympathy for either party: the doctor plants a spy, the patient lies about his recovery, and each expects the other to do so. What makes the passage valuable beyond its vocabulary is the picture of a medical economy running on delayed payment and mutual suspicion, reported by people inside it. The evidence that the cure worked is not clinical but social — the man is at weddings and beer-drinkings, therefore he is well.
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Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
57.16 Uma (ˈuː.ma) if ufuna (uˈfuː.na) you-want ukupheka (u.kuˈpʰeː.ka) to-cook sebenzisa (sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) use isitofu (i.siˈtɔː.fu) the-stove
57.17 Kuqala (kuˈǃaː.la) first bheka (ˈbeː.ka) check ukuthi (u.kuˈtʰi) that sivaliwe (si.vaˈliː.wɛ) it-is-closed
57.18 Sebenzisa (sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) use umentshisi (u.mɛnˈtʃiː.si) a-match
57.19 Ungasebenzisi (u.ŋa.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.si) do-not-use amafutha (a.maˈfuː.tʰa) oil amaningi (a.maˈniː.ŋi) much
57.20 Beka (ˈɓeː.ka) put ibhodwe (iˈbɔː.dwɛ) the-pot phezulu (pʰɛˈzuː.lu) on-top
57.21 Emva (ˈɛːm.va) after kwemizuzu (kwɛ.miˈzuː.zu) of-minutes emihlanu (ɛ.miˈɬaː.nu) five buka (ˈɓuː.ka) look
57.22 Uma (ˈuː.ma) if kubila (kuˈɓiː.la) it-boils nciphisa (nǀiˈpʰiː.sa) reduce umlilo (umˈliː.lɔ) the-fire
57.23 Ngicabanga (ŋi.ǀaˈɓaːŋa) I-think ukuthi (u.kuˈtʰi) that kulungile (ku.luˈŋiː.lɛ) it-is-ready
57.24 Sebenzisa (sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) use isipuni (i.siˈpʰuː.ni) a-spoon ukuvuvuza (u.ku.vuˈvuː.za) to-stir
57.25 Ungathinti (u.ŋaˈtʰiːn.ti) do-not-touch ibhodwe (iˈbɔː.dwɛ) the-pot ngesandla (ŋɛ.saˈnɮaː) with-the-hand
57.26 Sebenzisa (sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) use indwangu (inˈdwaː.ŋu) a-cloth
57.27 Emva (ˈɛːm.va) after kokupheka (kɔ.ku.pʰɛˈkaː) of-cooking cisha (ˈǀiː.ʃa) extinguish umlilo (umˈliː.lɔ) the-fire
57.28 Buyisa (ɓuˈjiː.sa) return konke (ˈkɔːn.kɛ) everything endaweni (ɛn.daˈweː.ni) to-the-place yakho (ˈjaː.kʰɔ) its
57.29 Nami (ˈnaː.mi) I-also ngisebenzisa (ŋi.sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa) I-use le (leː) this ndlela (nˈɮeː.la) method
57.30 Uzokwazi (u.zɔˈkwaː.zi) you-will-be-able ukupheka (u.kuˈpʰeː.ka) to-cook kahle (ˈkaː.ɬɛ) well
Part B: Natural Sentences
57.16 Uma ufuna ukupheka, sebenzisa isitofu. → “If you want to cook, use the stove.”
57.17 Kuqala bheka ukuthi sivaliwe. → “First check that it's turned off.”
57.18 Sebenzisa umentshisi. → “Use a match.”
57.19 Ungasebenzisi amafutha amaningi. → “Don't use too much oil.”
57.20 Beka ibhodwe phezulu. → “Put the pot on top.”
57.21 Emva kwemizuzu emihlanu buka. → “After five minutes, look.”
57.22 Uma kubila, nciphisa umlilo. → “If it boils, turn the heat down.”
57.23 Ngicabanga ukuthi kulungile. → “I think it's ready.”
57.24 Sebenzisa isipuni ukuvuvuza. → “Use a spoon to stir.”
57.25 Ungathinti ibhodwe ngesandla. → “Don't touch the pot with your hand.”
57.26 Sebenzisa indwangu. → “Use a cloth.”
57.27 Emva kokupheka, cisha umlilo. → “After cooking, put out the fire.”
57.28 Buyisa konke endaweni yakho. → “Put everything back in its place.”
57.29 Nami ngisebenzisa le ndlela. → “I use this method too.”
57.30 Uzokwazi ukupheka kahle. → “You'll be able to cook well.”
Part C: isiZulu Only
57.16 Uma ufuna ukupheka, sebenzisa isitofu.
57.17 Kuqala bheka ukuthi sivaliwe.
57.18 Sebenzisa umentshisi.
57.19 Ungasebenzisi amafutha amaningi.
57.20 Beka ibhodwe phezulu.
57.21 Emva kwemizuzu emihlanu buka.
57.22 Uma kubila, nciphisa umlilo.
57.23 Ngicabanga ukuthi kulungile.
57.24 Sebenzisa isipuni ukuvuvuza.
57.25 Ungathinti ibhodwe ngesandla.
57.26 Sebenzisa indwangu.
57.27 Emva kokupheka, cisha umlilo.
57.28 Buyisa konke endaweni yakho.
57.29 Nami ngisebenzisa le ndlela.
57.30 Uzokwazi ukupheka kahle.
Part D: Grammar Notes for Genre Section
Instructions are the natural home of the causative, and this set uses it repeatedly:
The Imperative: 57.18, 57.24 and 57.26 give the bare stem sebenzisa as a command. The Zulu imperative singular is the stem alone, with no prefix.
The Negative Imperative: 57.19, ungasebenzisi, and 57.25, ungathinti. The pattern is u- + -nga- + stem with final -i, exactly the negative described in Lesson 53 for angicabangi.
Other Causatives at Work: 57.22, nciphisa (reduce), is the causative of -ncipha (become small). 57.28, buyisa (bring back), is the causative of -buya from Lesson 55. Neither needs separate memorisation once the extension is understood.
The Infinitive after Emva Kwa-: 57.27, emva kokupheka. The class 15 infinitive ukupheka fuses with kwa- to give kokupheka — the construction of Lesson 56 applied to a new verb.
Conditional Uma: 57.16 and 57.22 open with uma, “if, when”, which governs a following verb and is the ordinary conditional of instructions.
The Third Click: 57.27 contains cisha, with the dental click c, and 57.22 nciphisa, with the nasalised dental click nc. The clicks continue to accumulate.
Recycled Structures: 57.21 and 57.27 carry emva kwa- from Lesson 56; 57.28 carries buyisa from Lesson 55; 57.29 carries nami from Lesson 54; 57.23 carries ngicabanga ukuthi from Lesson 53.
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Extension and Vowel Length
Adding -is- shifts the penultimate lengthening: sebenza [sɛˈɓɛːn.za] becomes sebenzisa [sɛ.ɓɛnˈziː.sa]. Every extension does this, and a speaker who keeps the length on the original syllable will sound wrong even with correct segments.
The Nasalised Click
Nciphisa contains nc, the nasalised dental click. IsiZulu has each of its three clicks in plain, aspirated, nasalised and voiced forms — c, ch, nc, gc for the dental alone. This lesson introduces the nasalised series; earlier lessons gave the plain c of cabanga and the plain q of kuqala.
The Aspirated Series in Full
Sebenzisa has plain s and z, but the instructions in the genre section contain ph in ukupheka, kh in kahle, th in ungathinti, and the plain p, k, t elsewhere. Aspiration is phonemic throughout, and ph is never English /f/.
Callaway and Grout Compared
The citation writes umuti and wako where modern isiZulu writes umuthi and wakho, and wa sebenza disjunctively for wasebenza. Grout, writing nine years earlier for a grammatical purpose, gives sebenzisa in a form a modern reader recognises immediately. Both are in the course corpus.
Recommended Audio Resources:
Zulu-language product instructions, health campaigns and cookery broadcasts all run on the imperative and negative imperative of this lesson — sebenzisa, ungasebenzisi. These are among the easiest registers for a learner to follow, since the vocabulary is concrete and the constructions repeat.
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◊ᴺᵉˣᵃˡ ◊ᴸᵃᵗⁱⁿᵘᵐ ◊ᶻᵘˡᵘ ◊ᴸᵉˢˢᵒⁿ⁵⁷ ◊ˢᵉᵇᵉⁿᶻⁱˢᵃ ◊ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉ
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