Ndiwo mumwe wemitauro yeBantu yekumaodzanyemba uye ndewemhuri yemitauro yeNiger-Congo, uye unoonekwa semutauro wakanyorwa wakajairwa unosanganisira mitemo yekunyora nemitemo yegirama yakanyorwa pakutanga kwezana remakore rechimakumi maviri uye wakazova wakatsiga.
Shona (chiShona) ndiwo mutauro weBantu unonyanya kutaurwa zvikuru semutauro wekutanga, uye mutauro wechivanhu wevanhu vekuZimbabwe. Izwi iri rinoshandiswawo kutsanangura vanhu vanotaura imwe yemhando dzeShona yepakati: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika neKorekore. Zvichibva pamushumo waClement Doke wa1931, Union Shona kana Standard Shona yakagadzirwa kubva kumhando dzeShona yepakati. Sezvo guta guru riri munharaunda yeZezuru, mhando iyi yakava ine simba muStandard Shona. Boka rakakura remitauro yakabatana munhoroondo (inonzi mitauro yeShona nenyanzvi dzemitauro) rinosanganisirawo Ndau (Shona yekumabvazuva) neKalanga (Shona yekumadokero), asi vatauri vemitauro iyi vanosarudza kuzivikanwa kwavo kwakasiyana uye vanowanzoramba hukama hupi zvahwo nezita rokuti Shona.