The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Xhosa language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Xhosa |
| I | ndi-, mna |
| you *(sing)* | u-, wena |
| he | u-, yena |
| we | si-, thina |
| you *(pl)* | ni-, nina |
| they | ba-, bona |
| this | lo, aba, le, eli, la, esi, ezi, olu, obu, oku |
| that | lowa, abaya, leya, eliya, lawa, esiya, eziya, oluya, obuya, okuya |
| here | apha |
| there | apho |
| who | ngubani |
| what | -ni, ntoni |
| where | phi? |
| when | ni |
| how | njani, kanjani *(adv)* |
| not | khange, a-, -nga- |
| all | -onke |
| many | -ninzi |
| some | -nye |
| few | -balwa |
| other | -mbi, -nye |
| one | isinye, eyona |
| two | -bini |
| three | -thathu |
| four | -ne |
| five | -hlanu |
| big | -khulu |
| long | -de |
| wide | -banzi |
| thick | -nzinzilili |
| heavy | -nzima |
| small | -mncinane, -ncinci |
| short | -futshane |
| narrow | -mxinwa |
| thin | -bhityile |
| woman | inkosikazi |
| man | indoda, umlisela *(young man)* |
| human | umntu |
| child | umntwana, usana |
| wife | umfazi |
| husband | umyeni |
| mother | umama |
| father | ubawo, utata |
| animal | isilwane |
| fish | intlanzi |
| bird | intaka |
| dog | inja |
| louse | intwala |
| snake | inyoka |
| worm | umsundulu |
| tree | umthi |
| forest | ihlathi |
| stick | induku, uluthi |
| fruit | isiqhamo |
| seed | imbewu |
| leaf | igqabi |
| root | ingcambu |
| bark *(tree)* | ixolo |
| flower | intyantyambo |
| grass | ingca |
| rope | intambo |
| skin | isikhumba |
| meat | inyama |
| blood | igazi |
| bone | ihleza, ithambo |
| fat *(n.)* | amafutha |
| egg | iqanda |
| horn | uphondo |
| tail | umsila |
| feather | usiba |
| hair | inwele |
| head | intloko |
| ear | indlebe |
| eye | iliso |
| nose | impumlo |
| mouth | umlomo |
| tooth | izinyo |
| tongue | ulwimi |
| fingernail | uzipho |
| foot | unyawo |
| leg | umlenze |
| knee | idolo |
| hand | isandla |
| wing | iphiko |
| belly | isisu |
| guts | ithumbu |
| neck | intamo, umqala *(throat)* |
| back | umhlana |
| breast | ibele *(breast)*, isifuba *(chest)* |
| heart | intliziyo |
| liver | isibindi |
| to drink | ukusela, -sela, -phunga |
| to eat | -tya |
| to bite | -luma |
| to suck | -munca |
| to spit | -the |
| to vomit | -hlanza |
| to blow | -bhudla, -vuthuza |
| to breathe | -phefumla |
| to laugh | -hleka |
| to see | -bona, -buka |
| to hear | -va |
| to know | -azi |
| to think | -cinga |
| to smell | -nuka |
| to fear | -oyika |
| to sleep | -lala |
| to live | -phila |
| to die | -fa |
| to kill | -bulala |
| to fight | lwa |
| to hunt | -zingela |
| to hit | -betha |
| to cut | -sika |
| to split | -krazuka, -tyanda |
| to stab | -gwaza, -hlaba |
| to scratch | -phanda |
| to dig | -grumba |
| to swim | -dada |
| to fly | -bhabha |
| to walk | -hamba |
| to come | -za |
| to lie *(bed)* | -xoka |
| to sit | -hlala |
| to stand | -ma |
| to turn | -jika |
| to fall | -wa |
| to give | -pha |
| to hold | -bamba |
| to squeeze | -bandezela, -foca |
| to rub | -dyobha, – gudla |
| to wash | -coca, -hlamba |
| to wipe | -sula |
| to pull | -dontsa, -tsala |
| to push | -dudula |
| to throw | -gibisa, -jula, -phosa |
| to tie | -bopha |
| to sew | -thunga |
| to count | -bala |
| to say | -thi, -tsho |
| to sing | -cula |
| to play | -dlala |
| to float | -bhabhazela |
| to freeze | -nquma *(congeal)*, -tshaza *(be frostbitten)* |
| to swell | -dumba |
| sun | ilanga |
| moon | inyanga |
| star | inkwenkwezi |
| water | amanzi |
| rain | imvula |
| river | umlambo |
| lake | ichibi |
| sea | ulwandle |
| salt | ityuwa |
| stone | ilitye |
| sand | isanti |
| dust | uthuli |
| earth | umthonyama, ihlabathi |
| cloud | ilifu |
| fog | inkungu |
| sky | izulu |
| wind | umoya |
| snow | ikhephu |
| ice | umkhenkce |
| fire | umlilo |
| ash | uthuthu |
| to burn | -vutha |
| road | indlela |
| mountain | intaba |
| red | -bomvu |
| green | -luhlaza |
| yellow | -lubhelu, -mthuba, -tyheli |
| white | -mhlophe |
| black | -mnyama |
| night | ubusuku |
| day | umhla, imini, usuku |
| year | umnyaka |
| warm | -fudumeleyo |
| cold | -banda |
| full | -gcwele |
| new | -tsha |
| old | -dala |
| good | -mnandi |
| bad | -bi |
| rotten | -bolile |
| dirty | -nkone, -mdaka |
| straight | -ngqala |
| round | -mbumbulu |
| sharp *(knife)* | -bukhali, -tsolo |
| blunt *(knife)* | -buthuntu |
| wet | -manzi, -nqum |
| dry | -omelela, -oma |
| correct | -nyanisile |
| near | -kufuphi |
| far | -kude |
| right | -nene |
| left | -nxele |
| with | na, ne, no, kunye |
| and | kwaye |
| if | ukuba |
| because | kaloku, ngokuba |
| name | igama |