Shona — Southern Bantu language, noun-class grammar, and two-tone system
Bantu • Niger–Congo • Latin Script • SVO • Tonal
Where It Is Spoken
Shona is widely spoken in Zimbabwe and also used in parts of Mozambique.
It is a major community language in Southern Africa and supports everyday life, education, and media in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe Mozambique Southern Africa
Number Of Speakers (Est.)
Shona and closely related Shona varieties are spoken by more than 14 million people when major varieties are counted together.
Standard Shona is used widely in Zimbabwe.
Shona is written in the Latin script. Standard spelling is designed to be clear and consistent.
Tone is important in speech, but it is usually not marked in everyday writing.
Latin Alphabet Tone Not Marked
Word Order
The most common pattern is SVO (Subject–Verb–Object).
Agreement markers on the verb connect the verb to the subject and often to objects too.
SVO Agreement System
ISO Codes
ISO 639-1: sn • ISO 639-2/3: sna
Language ID Standard Code
Major Varieties
Shona is a cluster of closely related varieties. Many are mutually intelligible, and Standard Shona is used in schools and publishing.
Zezuru — influential in Standard Shona and common around central Zimbabwe.
Karanga — widely spoken in the south and important in standardization.
Manyika — associated with the east.
Korekore — common in the north.
Ndau — closely related; sometimes treated separately in language listings.
What Makes Shona Distinct
Shona is known for its noun-class system, where nouns use prefixes
that control agreement across the sentence. It also uses a two-tone system
(high and low), which helps distinguish meaning in speech.
Noun Classes High/Low Tone Prefix Morphology
Sound System In Simple Terms
Five vowels: a, e, i, o, u (stable and clear).
Common digraphs:mb, nd, dz, ts.
Tone: high vs low tone matters, even when not written.
Pronunciation: spelling is generally consistent, so reading aloud is approachable.
Grammar Snapshot
Noun classes: nouns fall into classes marked by prefixes (similar to grammatical categories).
Agreement: verbs and modifiers often carry markers that match the noun class.
Verbal structure: verbs often include subject markers, tense/aspect, and sometimes object markers.
Negation: expressed with changes in verbal prefixes and patterns, not just a single word.
Noun Classes With Examples
Shona noun classes shape how sentences are built. Below are a few common pairs used in everyday speech.
Class
Singular Prefix
Plural Prefix
Example
Meaning
1 / 2
mu-
va-
munhu / vanhu
person / people
3 / 4
mu-
mi-
muti / miti
tree / trees
5 / 6
ri-
ma-
bwe / mabwe
stone / stones
7 / 8
chi-
zvi-
chikoro / zvikoro
school / schools
9 / 10
N- (often)
N- (often)
mbwa / mbwa
dog / dogs
Note: Not every noun follows a single pattern perfectly. The class system is broad and includes special cases.
Common Phrases
Mhoro (Hello) Makadii? (How are you? / How are you all?) Ndiripo (I am fine / I am here) Ndatenda (Thank you) Ndapota (Please) Handizivi (I do not know)
Greetings often change with respect and number (singular vs plural). Using plural forms can sound more polite.
