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Mazita
Grammar Guide

A practical Shona grammar guide to nouns, noun classes, and prefixes.

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Did you know?

Every Shona noun has a "secret code" called a prefix that tells you which family it belongs to!

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21 Noun Families
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Pure Sounds Phonetic Mastery

Vowel Sound Station

Shona vowels are simple! They always sound the same, no matter where they are in a word.

A

Sounds like

u-mbrella

Mhoro
E

Sounds like

e-cho

Mhene
I

Sounds like

i-ndia

Chiri
O

Sounds like

o-scar

Chokwadi
U

Sounds like

ooh (not you)

Mukaka

How A Noun Is Built

chi-
+
-koro
=

chikoro

school

mu-
+
-sikana
=

musikana

girl

ka-
+
-komana
=

kakomana

small boy / little boy

Full Mipanda Yamazita List

Every noun in Shona belongs to a family. Find the family by looking at the start of the word!

Class 1
mu-

mukadzi

Class 1a
-

baba

Class 2
va-

vakadzi

Class 2a
va-

vasahwira, VaGumbo (yekuremekedza)

Class 2a
vana-

vanatezvara (vakawanda)

Class 2b
a-

atete, asahwira

Class 3
mu-

munda

Class 4
mi-

minda

Class 5
- (ri-)

banga

Class 6
ma-

mapanga

Class 7
chi-

chingwa

Class 8
zvi-

zvingwa

Class 9
- (i-)

huku

Class 10
- (dzi-)

huku

Class 11
ru-

rukuni

Class 12
ka-

kambuyu

Class 13
tu-

tumbuyu

Class 14
u-

upfu

Class 15
ku-

kuenda

Class 16
pa-

pamba

Class 17
ku-

kumusha

Class 17a
-

zasi

Class 18
mu-

mumunda

Class 19
svi-

svimbudzi

Class 21
zi-

zigomana

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People

mu- / va-

Words like mudzidzisi (teacher) or vanhu (people).

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Nature

mu- / mi-

Words like muti (tree) or miti (trees).

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Animals

i- / dzi-

Words like imbwa (dog) or shumba (lion).

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Objects

chi- / zvi-

Words like chigaro (chair) or zvidhori (dolls).

Expressive Prefixes

These prefixes change the "feeling" of a word. See how a word grows or shrinks!

ru- / rw-

Often suggests length, extension, or stretched form.

rwizi, ruoko

ka-

Often gives a small, little, or diminutive sense.

kasikana, kakomana, kadatya, kasadza

tu- / tw- / ti-

Often continues diminutive or thin/light variations.

tusikana, twusikana, tisadza

u- / hu- / hw-

Often used for abstract qualities, behaviour, or states.

uroyi, humbavha, hwubhinya

svi-

Can mark strong emphasis such as thinness, darkness, or an intensified quality.

svisikana, svirume, svikadzi

zi-

Can suggest bulk, size, or heavy emphasis.

zigadzi, zigaba, zihari

How To Master Mazita

Follow these 4 simple steps to become a Shona grammar wizard!

1

Look at the prefix first before memorising the whole noun.

2

Learn class pairs together when they behave as singular and plural partners.

3

Watch for expressive prefixes because they can change tone and meaning, not just quantity.

4

Practise by splitting words into chivakashure + dzitsi, then rebuilding them aloud.