Ndau (chiNdau)

Ndau is a Bantu language spoken by about 2.4 million people mainly in central Mozambique, and also in southeastern Zimbabwe. In Mozambique it is spoken in Bikita in the Zambezi valley, and in Zimbabwe it is spoken in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts

Ndau is also known as chiNdau, Chindau, Ndzawu, Njao, Chidanda. Dialects include Shanga and Danda, which are spoken in Mozambique, Garwe and Tonga, which are spoken in Zimbabwe, and Ndau(ndau), which is spoken in both countries. It is closely related to Shona, and also Manyika, Zezuru and Karanga. It became a official language of Zimbabwe in 2013.

A way to write Ndau with the Latin script was devised in 1911 by Daniel Jones, a Lecturer in Phonetics at University College London. The orthography for Ndau shown below was published in Mozambique in 2000. Other ways to write Ndau are available.

Ndau alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Ndau (Excel)
Information about the Ndau alphabet provided by Wolfram Siegel

Sample text

Iye wakati kwavari, “Naapo mwookumbira, muti: Baba, ngariremeredzwe zina renyu. Umambo hwenyu ngahuuye.
Tipei zuva ngezuva kudya kwedu.
Tirekererei zvishaishi zvedu, ngokuti isusuwo tinorekerera veshe avo vanendaa kwetiri. Musatipinza mukuedzwa.”

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1694/LUK.11.NDAU

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Videos in and about Ndau

Information about Ndau | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about the Ndau language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndau_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndau
https://www.chindau.org/language/
https://archive.org/details/cu31924026918775/mode/2up
https://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/ndau.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340547835_A_UNIFIED_SPELLING_GUIDE_FOR_NDAU_Bilingual_edition_-_MABHARIRWE_ECHINDAU_Edited_by_Emmanuel_Sithole

Bantu languages

Aka, Aushi, Bafaw-Balong, Bangi, Bangubangu, Basaa, Bemba, Bembe, Bena, Benga, Bhaca, Bila, Bube, Budu, Bujeba, Bukusu, Bulu, Bushong, Central Kilimanjaro, Central Teke, Chichewa, Chokwe, Chopi, Chuwabu, Comorian, Dciriku, Digo, Duala, Eton, Ewondo, Fang, Fuliiru, Fwe, Ganda/Luganda, Giryama, Gogo, Gungu, Gusii, Gwere, Gyele, Ha, Haya, Hehe, Herero, Ibinda, Idaxo-Isuxa-Tiriki, Ikizu, Ikoma, Jita, Kabwa, Kako, Kalanga, Kamba, Kanyok, Kgalagadi, Kiga, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kisi, Kobo, Kogo, Komo, Kongo, Konjo, Koti, Kuhane, Kukuya, Kunda, Kuria, Kwambi, Kwangali, Kwasio, Lambya, Lega, Lengola, Lingala, Loma, Lomwe, Lozi, Luba-Katanga, Luchazi, Lunda, Luvale, Luyana, Makaa, Makonde, Makhuwa, Mandekan, Maore, Masaaba, Mbama, Mbere, Mbosi, Mbugu, Mbukushu, Mbunda, Mbuun, Mende, Mongo, Mpiemo, Mushungulu, Mwani, Myene, Nambya, Nande, Ndau, Ngoni, Ngwii, Njebi, Nkore, North Teke, Northern Ndebele (South Africa), Northern Ndebele (Zimbabwe), Northern Sotho, Nyamwezi, Nyakyusa, Nyemba, Nyole, Nyoro, Nyungwe, Nzadi, Oroko, OshiWambo, Pagibete, Pare, Punu, Rangi, Ronga, Safwa, Seki, Sena, Sengele, Shambala, Shona, Soga, Songe, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Suba, Sukuma, Swahili, Swati, Taita, Talinga, Tanga, Tembo, Tetela, Tonga, Tongwe, Tooro, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswa, Tswana, Tumbuka, Turu, Umbundu, Venda, Vili, Vwanji, Wanzi, West Teke, Xhosa, Yakam, Yansi, Yao, Yasa, Yeyi, Zigula, Zinza, Zulu

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 18.11.25. Last modified: 18.11.25

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