Ndebele Language

Ndebele also known as Matabele or Isindebele or Northern ndebele is a language spoken in Botswana and Zimbabwe by the AmaNdebele people.

It belongs to the Nguni group of languages which also includes IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, Ngoni and Swazi languages.

Ndebele language has approximately 2,500,000 native speakers.

A person who speaks Ndebele is known as iNdebele.

Ndebele is an official language in Zimbabwe.

Learn common Ndebele phrases and their meaning in English, including greetings, directions, love words and a lot of day-to-day conversations.

It should not be confused with Southern Ndebele.

Dictionary of popular Ndebele words

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This page was last updated on January 9, 2026

Matabele/Isindebele/Northern Ndebele/Nguni/Ndebele

Native to

Botswana , Zimbabwe

Estimated Native Speakers

2,500,000

Status

Active

Common Ndebele phrases and their meaning