Have you ever encountered a Zulu and started talking without greeting them first? Rookie mistake! I recently saw a social media trend that brought back fond memories of a tactic I grew up with, well, suffered from it really.
Picture this: You start chatting away, and a Zulu just lets you talk, nodding & looking at you politely. Then, after what feels like a TED Talk, they drop the bombshell: “Sawubona.” Suddenly, everything you said prior feels like it evaporated into thin air. Why? Because you skipped the all-important greeting.
Sawubona
“Sawubona”(Hello, I see you) is more than just a word. It’s a fundamental sign of respect. You can’t just skip the niceties and dive into your monologue. No matter how significant you believe it is. Imagine someone barging into your house and starting a conversation without even a “Hi”—it’s just not right, right.
After the great Sawubona, then comes the follow-up: “Unjani?” (How are you?). It’s like the universe hitting the reset button. You must now start over. Not because you weren’t heard, but because respect was skipped. Respect for the person you didn’t share a bed or a home with, and more importantly, respect for the greeting itself.
So, what does “Sawubona” mean? As stated above in direct translation, it means “Hello, I see you.” When addressing multiple people, it becomes “Sanibona” (Hello, I see all of you). This greeting is more than just a hello; it acknowledges the presence and existence of the person or people you’re addressing. The subsequent “Unjani?” reinforces this acknowledgment—it’s not just “I see you,” but “I see you, and I care about how you are.”
For me, talking to someone without greeting them first feels like ignoring their existence. I’m definitely one of those people who appreciate a good greeting before diving into the conversation. The beauty of “Sawubona” is its versatility—it works any time of day. Good morning, good day, good afternoon, good evening—”Sawubona” has you covered. It’s greeting perfection.
I’m on a quest, I am challenging you to be on a quest, to learn more words like this in different languages—words that carry layers of meaning in their simplest form. So, to whoever is reading this…SAWUBONA!