Clicks are real letters
c, q and x are three different click sounds: iqanda (egg), ixoxo (frog). Lina spells them clearly and explains how to make each one.
Learn Zulu · 2Lingua
Learn Zulu by speaking it. 🇿🇦
Don't just memorize words. Have real conversations with Lina — greet gogo properly at a family visit, buy fruit at a Durban market, joke with your cousins in Umlazi. Like a tutor, but for $7 a month.
30 min/day voice • Report card after every chat • No download
See Lina in action
Lina plays a fruit seller at a Durban market
LinaSawubona! Unjani?Hello! How are you?
YouYebo, sawubona. Ngiyaphila, wena unjani?Yes, hello. I'm well, and you?
LinaNgiyaphila, ngiyabonga! Ufunani namuhla?I'm well, thank you! What would you like today?
✅ “Ngiyaphila, wena unjani?” = perfect - you answered and asked back, just like a local
💡 Tip: “Sawubona” literally means “I see you”. Reply “Yebo, sawubona”. To an elder or several people, say “Sanibonani”.
Why Zulu is different
Respect for elders
Use “Sanibonani” (respectful, plural) for elders, and call older women “Mama” and older men “Baba”. Lina reminds you when to switch.
Real life, not textbook
Markets, minibus taxis, braais, Sunday family lunch — not just "the cat is on the table."
What you'll learn
- Week 1Greetings - Sawubona, Sanibonani, introducing yourself
- Week 2Market + food - prices, bargaining, pap and chakalaka
- Week 3Family + respect - elders, Gogo and Mkhulu, ubuntu
- Week 4Daily life - minibus taxis, phone calls, small talk, directions in Durban
5 phrases you'll speak today
A free preview. Press ▶ to hear each one, then say it out loud.
- 1Sawubona!Hello! (to one person)
- 2Unjani?How are you?
- 3NgiyabongaThank you
- 4Igama lami ngu...My name is...
- 5Ngicela...Please may I have...
Conversations with Lina work in Zulu today. The phrasebook, stories and podcasts are in Spanish and German so far; more languages are coming.
Free vs paid for Zulu
FREE
- Read this page
- The 5 phrases above
- 1 free text demo with Lina (3 min)
PAID · $7/mo
- 30 min/day voice with Lina in Zulu
- Unlimited text chat
- Full report cards
- Full phrasebook
- Unlimited vocabulary garden
Zulu questions
Is Zulu hard?
The clicks take practice, but Zulu spelling is regular: words are read the way they're written. Most learners can greet and introduce themselves within a week.
Which Zulu?
Standard isiZulu as spoken in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, with notes when Johannesburg slang differs.
Can I learn for my family?
Yes — many learners use 2Lingua to talk with a partner's family or with grandparents.
Does Lina know the clicks?
Lina spells every click correctly and explains how to make it. Hearing her depends on your browser, as some don't have a Zulu voice yet.