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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Zapotec

We have included twenty basic words, enough to give you a feeling for each language. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many Native American languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

You can find a broader selection of Zapotec words in our online picture glossaries. If you would like to know a word that is not included in any of these wordlists, you can take part in our American Indian translations fundraiser, buy a Zapotec dictionary, or visit our main Zapotec language site for more free resources.

Thanks for your interest in Native American languages!

Zapotec Word Sets

(Click here for pronunciation guide)

English (Français) Isthmus Zapotec Yatzachi Zapotec
One (Un) Tobi To
Two (Deux) Chupa Chope
Three (Trois) Chonna Shone
Four (Quatre) Tapa Tap
Five (Cinq) Gaayu' Gueye'
Man (Homme) Nguiiu Byo
Woman (Femme) Gunaa No'ol
Dog (Chien) Bi'cu' Beco'
Water (Eau) Nisa Nis
White (Blanc) Naquichi' Xtil
Yellow (Jaune) Naguchi Gushe
Red (Rouge) Naxiñá' Xena
Black (Noir) Nayaase' Gasj
Eat (Manger) Ro Chao
See (Voir) Rusiná Chle'i
Hear (Entendre) Runadiaga Chene
Sing (Chanter) Rusiguunda' Chol
Leave (Partir) Riree or Rusaana Cheza or Chcua'an

Click here to see Zapotec vocabulary words compared to words in related Oto-Manguean languages: Oto-Manguean Indian Words

Zapotec Picture Dictionaries

Here are some themed Zapotec word lists we have put together and illustrated for language learners. Feel free to print them out for classroom purposes!

*Zapotec animal words
*Zapotec body parts
*Zapotec color words

Additional Resources

   Mexican Natives
   Native lore
   Native American names
   Oto-Mangean language family



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