English→Shona

Translate English to Shona like a local.

It sounds like itself through Harare Shona’s everyday mhoro greetings and respectful va- forms for elders.

Going the other way? Shona to English

474 local dialects

What locals actually say

Hello, Grandma, how are you?

Mhoro, Ambuya, makadii?

'Mhoro' is an everyday Zimbabwean greeting, while 'makadii' uses the respectful plural form for an elder.

Is Mr Moyo at home?

VaMoyo varipo kumba here?

'Va-' marks respectful reference to an adult man, and 'varipo' agrees with that honorific.

Can I get a minibus to town here?

Ndingawana kombi inoenda ku town pano here?

'Kombi' is Zimbabwe’s everyday word for a commuter minibus, while 'ku town' is the familiar Harare phrasing for going into town.

How much does this cost?

Izvi zvinoita marii?

Marii is the Shona question word for asking a price or amount.

Please give me a little more sadza.

Ndiwedzereiwo sadza shoma.

The polite suffix -wo softens ndiwedzerei, meaning give or add more for me, while sadza names the staple maize meal.

My aunt is visiting us this weekend.

Tete vangu vari kuzotishanyira kupera kwevhiki ino.

Tete specifically means a paternal aunt, and the va- concord in vangu and vari respectfully refers to an older relative.

I am running late for work.

Ndiri kunonoka kuenda kubasa.

The ndiri ku- construction marks an action or state in progress, and kubasa means to or at work.

It looks like rain.

Zvinoita sekuti kuchanaya.

Zvinoita sekuti means it seems that, while the impersonal kuchanaya construction expresses expected rain.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

Shona (Harare standard); mhoro greetings, respectful va- prefixes for elders.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.