Learn Xhosa

Learn Xhosa online with practical, real-life situations! Simple, fast and easy learning. Speak Xhosa language with confidence. Start now with uTalk!


About Xhosa

Xhosa, known locally as isiXhosa, is one of 11 official languages of South Africa and is spoken mostly in Eastern Cape Province and Transkei. It is also spoken in Botswana and Lesotho. It is closely related to Zulu, Swati and Ndebele and all four languages are mutually understandable. Xhosa is both a tonal language and a click language. It has two tones, high and low, and three different types of click sounds.

Get Started
uTalk Language Logo
Arrow facing left to cycle backwards through text
Play sample text audio Play sample text audio
Arrow facing right to cycle forward through text

Planet Earth
Where is it spoken?

South Africa

People Talking
Number of speakers

19,000,000

Family Tree
Language family

Niger-Congo

Atlantic–Congo

Benue-Congo

Bantu

Fun facts — Xhosa

  • Xhosa’s different click sounds are represented by the letters c, q and x.
  • Nelson Mandela's mother was a Xhosa speaker and at birth gave him the forename Rolihlahla, a Xhosa term colloquially meaning troublemaker.
  • English borrows the name impala – for a type of antelope – from Xhosa.

Over 30 million people have started speaking a new language with uTalk

Treasure

Over 2500 words and phrases, across 60+ topics covering everyday situations

Native Speakers

Practise speaking and compare your pronunciation with native speakers

Games

Game-based learning is fun and intuitive

Get Started