Learning Afrikaans: a practical guide
This is a written companion to the free Afrikaans course on LanguagePath: what the language is like, how it sounds, the phrases you will use first, how the course is structured, and what to watch out for. Everything here comes from the same lessons you can practise interactively above.
What Afrikaans is like
Afrikaans is the easiest of the Germanic languages to start: no noun genders, no verb endings for person (ek is, jy is, hy is — is for everyone), and a simple past built with het + ge-. Spelliest is near-phonetic: g is a throaty "kh", j is "y", and w sounds like English "v". Watch the signature double negative — ek verstaan nie.
Words you may already know
Pronunciation notes
Afrikaans is almost phonetic — once you know a few letter rules you can read any word aloud. The trickiest sounds are the throaty g and the v-sounding w.
- g — a throaty "kh" from the back of the throat — the famous Afrikaans g, shaped by the Khoisan (Khoekhoe) languages, as in goeie = KHOO-yuh · groot = khroht.
- j — "y" as in yes, as in ja = yah · jou = yow.
- r — a rolled or trilled r (soft, often guttural), as in rooi = roy · reën = RAY-uh.
- y — "ay" as in may (a diphthong), as in my = may · jy = yay.
- ie — a long "ee" as in see, as in tien = teen · hier = heer.
- oe — "oo" as in too, as in boek = book · goeie = KHOO-yuh.
- w — sounds like English "v", as in water = VAH-tuhr · weer = veer.
First phrases
The pocket phrases below are the ones learners reach for most often. Say each one out loud a few times before moving on.
| Afrikaans | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo | HAH-loh | Hello |
| Goeie môre | KOO-yuh MAW-ruh | Good morning |
| Goeie aand | KOO-yuh ahnt | Good evening |
| Totsiens | tot-SEENS | Goodbye |
| Hoe gaan dit? | KHOOH khahn dit | How are you? |
| My naam is Alex | may nahm is | My name is... |
| Dankie | DAHN-kee | Thank you |
| Baie dankie | BAY-uh DAHN-kee | Thanks a lot |
| Asseblief | uh-SUH-bleef | Please |
| Jammer | YAHM-muhr | Sorry |
| Ja | yah | Yes |
| Nee | nay | No |
| Een | ayn | 1 |
| Twee | tway | 2 |
| Drie | dree | 3 |
| Vier | veer | 4 |
| Vyf | fayf | 5 |
| Tien | teen | 10 |
| Water | VAH-tuhr | water |
| Brood | brooht | bread |
| Koffie | KOF-ee | coffee |
| Tee | TAY-uh | tea |
| Wyn | vayn | wine |
| Die rekening | dee RAY-kuh-ning | the bill |
| Waar is...? | vahr is | Where is...? |
| Regs | rekhs | to the right |
| Links | links | to the left |
| Die stasie | dee STAH-see | the station |
| Hoeveel kos dit? | KHOOH-vayl kos dit | how much is this? |
| Die toilet | dee toy-LET | the toilet |
How the Afrikaans course is structured
The course has 16 short lessons that build on each other. Each one introduces a few new pieces and then asks you to construct sentences you have never seen, before revealing the answer:
- Greetings — hallo · goeie môre · goeie aand · totsiens
- Being polite — dankie · baie dankie · asseblief · jammer
- Numbers 1–10 — een · twee · drie · tien
- I want" — the verb wil — ek wil · ek sou graag · ek het
- Food & drink — water · brood · koffie · tee
- Directions — waar is ...? · regs · links · reguit
- Questions & "do you have…?" — het jy ...? · is daar ...? · mag ek ...?
- Family — familie · ma · pa · broer · suster
- Time, days & weather — vandag · môre · gister · hoe is die weer?
- Your name — my naam is ... · wat is jou naam? · aangename kennis
- Health & emergency — help · dokter · apteek · ek verstaan nie
- Tying it together — wil · het · a capstone scene
- Airport & tickets — lughawe · paspoort · kaartjie · vlug
- The taxi — taxi · gaan · hotel · asb stop
- The hotel — bespreking · kamer · sleutel · nag
- Ask for help — ek verstaan nie · stadiger · Engels
Inside the lessons
Here is how a few of the lessons explain the language, with worked examples and the word-by-word breakdown the course uses.
Greetings
Key pieces: hallo · goeie môre · goeie aand · totsiens
Let's start with the word you'll use all day: hallo — hello. Say it out loud.
- hallo (HAH-loh) — hello
- goeie môre (KOO-yuh MAW-ruh) — good morning
- goeie dag (KOO-yuh dahkh) — good day
- goeie aand (KOO-yuh ahnt) — good evening
- totsiens (tot-SEENS) — goodbye
To say “Hello, thank you” in Afrikaans: Hallo, dankie (HAH-loh, DAHN-kee). Built from hallo = hello; dankie = thank you.
The time of day matters: goeie môre in the morning and goeie aand in the evening.
To say “Good morning, how are you?” in Afrikaans: Goeie môre, hoe gaan dit? (KOO-yuh MAW-ruh, KHOOH khahn dit). Built from goeie môre = good morning; hoe gaan dit? = how are you?.
To ask how someone is: Hoe gaan dit? The classic reply is goed, dankie — well, thanks.
- Hoe gaan dit? (KHOOH khahn dit) — How are you?
- Goed, dankie (KHOOD, DAHN-kee) — Well, thanks
- Ja (yah) — yes
- Nee (nay) — no
To say “Hi, how are you?” in Afrikaans: Hallo, hoe gaan dit? (HAH-loh, KHOOH khahn dit). Built from hallo = hi; hoe gaan dit? = how are you?.
Being polite
Key pieces: dankie · baie dankie · asseblief · jammer
The two most important courtesy words: dankie (thank you) and asseblief (please).
- dankie (DAHN-kee) — thank you
- baie dankie (BAY-uh DAHN-kee) — thank you very much
- asseblief (uh-SUH-bleef) — please
- jammer (YAHM-muhr) — sorry
- ekskuus (eks-KOOYS) — excuse me
To say “Thank you very much” in Afrikaans: Baie dankie (BAY-uh DAHN-kee). Built from baie = very; dankie = thank you.
Ekskuus and jammer cover 'excuse me' and 'sorry'.
To say “Yes, please” in Afrikaans: Ja, asseblief (yah, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from ja = yes; asseblief = please.
Ja is yes and nee is no — the core of any answer.
To say “Please, thank you” in Afrikaans: Asseblief, dankie (uh-SUH-bleef, DAHN-kee). Built from asseblief = please; dankie = thank you.
Numbers 1–10
Key pieces: een · twee · drie · tien
Numbers are the fastest win. Listen and repeat: een, twee, drie .
- een (ayn) — 1
- twee (tway) — 2
- drie (dree) — 3
- vier (veer) — 4
- vyf (fayf) — 5
- ses (ses) — 6
- sewe (SAY-vuh) — 7
- agt (ahkht) — 8
- nege (NAY-khuh) — 9
- tien (teen) — 10
To say “Two coffees, please” in Afrikaans: Twee koffie, asseblief (tway KOF-ee, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from twee = two; koffie = coffee; asseblief = please.
Hoeveel kos dit? = how much does it cost? Your key phrase for the market.
To say “How much is this?” in Afrikaans: Hoeveel kos dit? (KHOOH-vayl kos dit). Built from hoeveel = how much; kos = costs; dit = this.
To say “It's five rand” in Afrikaans: Dit is vyf rand (dit is fayf rahnt). Built from dit = this; is = is; vyf = five; rand = rand (South African money).
I want" — the verb wil
Key pieces: ek wil · ek sou graag · ek het
To say what you want: ek wil — I want. The polite version is better: ek sou graag — I would like.
- ek wil (ek vil) — I want
- ek sou graag (ek soh khraakh) — I would like
- ek het (ek het) — I have
- graag (khraakh) — gladly / please
To say “I would like a coffee” in Afrikaans: Ek sou graag 'n koffie hê (ek soh khraakh uh KOF-ee heh). Built from ek sou graag = I would like; 'n koffie = a coffee; hê = to have.
To say “I want a water” in Afrikaans: Ek wil 'n water hê (ek vil uh VAH-tuhr heh). Built from ek wil = I want; 'n water = a water; hê = to have.
'n (said like "uh") is the indefinite article — a / an. It is a shortened een.
To say “I want a bread” in Afrikaans: Ek wil 'n brood hê (ek vil uh brooht heh). Built from ek wil = I want; 'n brood = a bread; hê = to have.
Food & drink
Key pieces: water · brood · koffie · tee
Eating out? Key words: water (water), brood (bread), koffie (coffee).
- water (VAH-tuhr) — water Memory hook: ≈ English water · Dutch water · German Wasser.
- brood (brooht) — bread Memory hook: ≈ English bread · Dutch brood · German Brot.
- koffie (KOF-ee) — coffee Memory hook: ≈ Dutch koffie · German Kaffee.
- tee (TAY-uh) — tea
- wyn (vayn) — wine Memory hook: ≈ English wine · Dutch wijn · German Wein.
- die rekening (dee RAY-kuh-ning) — the bill
To say “Water and bread, please” in Afrikaans: Water en brood, asseblief (VAH-tuhr en brooht, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from water = water; en = and; brood = bread; asseblief = please.
To say “I would like the bill” in Afrikaans: Ek sou graag die rekening hê (ek soh khraakh dee RAY-kuh-ning heh). Built from ek sou graag = I would like; die rekening = the bill; hê = to have.
die is simply 'the' — there is no masculine or feminine, so it is easy. die rekening = the bill.
To say “A glass of wine, please” in Afrikaans: 'n glas wyn, asseblief (uh khlas vayn, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from 'n = a; glas = glass; wyn = wine; asseblief = please.
To say “A tea and a coffee, please” in Afrikaans: 'n tee en 'n koffie, asseblief (uh TAY-uh en uh KOF-ee, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from 'n = a; tee = tea; en = and; koffie = coffee.
Directions
Key pieces: waar is ...? · regs · links · reguit
The most useful question in any town: Waar is...? — where is...?
- Waar is...? (vahr is) — Where is...?
- regs (rekhs) — to the right
- links (links) — to the left
- reguit (ruh-KHOYT) — straight ahead
- die stasie (dee STAH-see) — the station Memory hook: ≈ English station.
- die toilet (dee toy-LET) — the toilet
To say “Where is the station?” in Afrikaans: Waar is die stasie? (vahr is dee STAH-see). Built from waar = where; die stasie = the station.
To say “Where is the toilet?” in Afrikaans: Waar is die toilet? (vahr is dee toy-LET). Built from waar = where; die toilet = the toilet.
Regs and links tell you which way to turn. 'Straight ahead' is reguit .
To say “Straight ahead, then left” in Afrikaans: Reguit aan en dan links (ruh-KHOYT ahn en dahn links). Built from reguit aan = straight ahead; en dan = and then; links = left.
Questions & "do you have…?"
Key pieces: het jy ...? · is daar ...? · mag ek ...?
To ask someone if they have something: Het jy...? (informal) or Het u...? (formal).
To say “Do you have a table?” in Afrikaans: Het jy 'n tafel? (het yay uh TAH-fuhl). Built from het jy = do you have; 'n tafel = a table.
Is daar...? = is there...? Very useful in shops.
To say “Is there wifi?” in Afrikaans: Is daar wifi? (is dahr WEE-fee). Built from is daar = is there; wifi = wifi.
Mag ek...? = may I...? The polite way to ask for something.
To say “May I have a glass of water?” in Afrikaans: Mag ek 'n glas water hê? (mahk ek uh khlas VAH-tuhr heh). Built from mag ek = may I; 'n glas water = a glass of water; hê = to have.
To say “How much is this?” in Afrikaans: Hoeveel kos dit? (KHOOH-vayl kos dit). Built from hoeveel = how much; kos = costs; dit = this.
Family
Key pieces: familie · ma · pa · broer · suster
Family words: familie (family), ma (mother), pa (father).
- familie (fah-MEE-lee) — family Memory hook: ≈ English family · Dutch familie.
- ma (mah) — mother
- pa (pah) — father
- broer (broor) — brother Memory hook: ≈ English brother · Dutch broer.
- suster (SUHS-tuhr) — sister
- vriend (vreent) — friend Memory hook: ≈ English friend · Dutch vriend.
To say “I have a friend” in Afrikaans: Ek het 'n vriend (ek het uh vreent). Built from ek het = I have; 'n vriend = a friend.
Ek het = I have. The key verb for saying what you've got.
To say “I have a brother” in Afrikaans: Ek het 'n broer (ek het uh broor). Built from ek het = I have; 'n broer = a brother.
Time, days & weather
Key pieces: vandag · môre · gister · hoe is die weer?
Today is vandag , tomorrow is môre .
- vandag (fahn-DAHKH) — today
- môre (MAW-ruh) — tomorrow
- gister (KHIS-tuhr) — yesterday
- die weer (dee veer) — the weather Memory hook: ≈ English weather · Dutch weer.
- die dag (dee dahkh) — the day
- die week (dee vayk) — the week
To say “See you tomorrow” in Afrikaans: Tot môre (tot MAW-ruh). Built from tot = until; môre = tomorrow.
Ask about the weather: Hoe is die weer?
To say “It's raining” in Afrikaans: Dit reën (dit RAY-uh). Built from dit = it; reën = rains.
To say “It's sunny and warm” in Afrikaans: Dit is sonnig en warm (dit is SON-nikh en varm). Built from dit = it; is = is; sonnig = sunny; warm = warm.
Your name
Key pieces: my naam is ... · wat is jou naam? · aangename kennis
Introduce yourself: My naam is… = my name is…, and Aangename kennis = nice to meet you.
To say “My name is Alex” in Afrikaans: My naam is Alex (may nahm is Alex). Built from my naam = my name; is = is; Alex = your name.
To ask someone's name: Wat is jou naam?
To say “What's your name?” in Afrikaans: Wat is jou naam? (vaht is yow nahm). Built from wat = what; jou = your; naam = name.
To say “Nice to meet you” in Afrikaans: Aangename kennis (AHN-khuh-nahm-uh KEN-nis). Built from aangename = pleasant; kennis = acquaintance.
Ask where someone is from: Waarvandaan kom jy?
To say “I come from __COUNTRY__” in Afrikaans: Ek kom van __COUNTRY__ (ek kom fahn __COUNTRY__). Built from ek kom = I come; van = from; __COUNTRY__ = your country.
Health & emergency
Key pieces: help · dokter · apteek · ek verstaan nie
The most important words if you need help: help (help), dokter (doctor), apteek (pharmacy).
- help (help) — help! Memory hook: ≈ English help · German Hilfe.
- die dokter (dee DOK-tuhr) — the doctor Memory hook: ≈ English doctor · Dutch dokter.
- die apteek (dee ahp-TAYK) — the pharmacy
- Ek verstaan nie (ek fer-STAHN nee) — I don't understand
- die polisie (dee po-lee-SEE) — the police Memory hook: ≈ English police.
To say “Help!” in Afrikaans: Help! (help). Built from help = help.
To say “I don't understand” in Afrikaans: Ek verstaan nie (ek fer-STAHN nee). Built from ek = I; verstaan = understand; nie = not (at the end).
To say you need help: Ek het hulp nodig .
To say “I need help” in Afrikaans: Ek het hulp nodig (ek het hulp NOH-dukh). Built from ek het = I have; hulp nodig = in need of help.
To say “I am sick” in Afrikaans: Ek is siek (ek is seek). Built from ek is = I am; siek = sick.
Tying it together
Key pieces: wil · het · a capstone scene
Great — you've built a real toolbox. This capstone uses only words you've met. Build each line yourself before revealing.
To say “Hello, how are you?” in Afrikaans: Hallo, hoe gaan dit? (HAH-loh, KHOOH khahn dit). Built from hallo = hello; hoe gaan dit? = how are you?.
To say “I would like a water, please” in Afrikaans: Ek sou graag 'n water hê, asseblief (ek soh khraakh uh VAH-tuhr heh, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from ek sou graag = I would like; 'n water = a water; hê = to have; asseblief = please.
To say “Where is the station?” in Afrikaans: Waar is die stasie? (vahr is dee STAH-see). Built from waar = where; die stasie = the station.
To say “How much is this?” in Afrikaans: Hoeveel kos dit? (KHOOH-vayl kos dit). Built from hoeveel kos = how much does it cost; dit = this.
Airport & tickets
Key pieces: lughawe · paspoort · kaartjie · vlug
You have landed. The building is the lughawe . Your document is a paspoort .
- die lughawe (dee LUHKH-hah-vuh) — the airport
- die paspoort (dee PAS-poort) — the passport
- die kaartjie (dee KAHR-kee) — the ticket
- die vlug (dee flukh) — the flight
- die hek (dee hek) — the gate
To say “Where is the airport?” in Afrikaans: Waar is die lughawe? (vahr is dee LUHKH-hah-vuh). Built from waar is = where is; die lughawe = the airport.
To say “Here is my passport” in Afrikaans: Hier is my paspoort (heer is may PAS-poort). Built from hier is = here is; my paspoort = my passport.
To say “A ticket, please” in Afrikaans: 'n Kaartjie, asseblief (uh KAHR-kee, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from 'n kaartjie = a ticket; asseblief = please.
To say “Where is the gate?” in Afrikaans: Waar is die hek? (vahr is dee hek). Built from waar is = where is; die hek = the gate.
The taxi
Key pieces: taxi · gaan · hotel · asb stop
The driver is waiting. Taxi is the same word. Tell them where to go with ek wil gaan .
- die taxi (dee TAK-see) — the taxi
- die drywer (dee DRAY-vur) — the driver
- ek wil gaan (ek vil khahn) — I want to go
- stop hier (stop heer) — stop here
To say “Taxi, please” in Afrikaans: Taxi, asseblief (TAK-see, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from taxi = taxi; asseblief = please.
To say “I want to go to the hotel” in Afrikaans: Ek wil na die hotel gaan (ek vil nah dee ho-TEL khahn). Built from ek wil = I want; na die hotel = to the hotel; gaan = to go.
To say “Stop here, please” in Afrikaans: Stop hier, asseblief (stop heer, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from stop hier = stop here; asseblief = please.
To say “How much is it?” in Afrikaans: Hoeveel kos dit? (KHOOH-vayl kos dit). Built from hoeveel = how much; kos = costs; dit = it.
The hotel
Key pieces: bespreking · kamer · sleutel · nag
At the desk: ek het 'n bespreking — I have a reservation.
- die hotel (dee ho-TEL) — the hotel
- die bespreking (dee buh-SPRAY-king) — the reservation
- die kamer (dee KAH-mur) — the room
- die sleutel (dee SLUR-tul) — the key
- een nag (ayn nahkh) — one night
To say “I have a reservation” in Afrikaans: Ek het 'n bespreking (ek het uh buh-SPRAY-king). Built from ek het = I have; 'n bespreking = a reservation.
To say “A room for one night, please” in Afrikaans: 'n Kamer vir een nag, asseblief (uh KAH-mur fer ayn nahkh, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from 'n kamer = a room; vir een nag = for one night; asseblief = please.
To say “The key, please” in Afrikaans: Die sleutel, asseblief (dee SLUR-tul, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from die sleutel = the key; asseblief = please.
To say “Where is my room?” in Afrikaans: Waar is my kamer? (vahr is may KAH-mur). Built from waar is = where is; my kamer = my room.
Ask for help
Key pieces: ek verstaan nie · stadiger · Engels
When the language is too fast: Stadiger, asseblief — slower, please.
- stadiger (STAH-duh-khur) — slower
- weer (veer) — again
- Engels (ENG-uls) — English
- kan jy help? (kan yay help) — can you help?
To say “I don't understand” in Afrikaans: Ek verstaan nie (ek fer-STAHN nee). Built from ek = I; verstaan = understand; nie = not.
To say “Slower, please” in Afrikaans: Stadiger, asseblief (STAH-duh-khur, uh-SUH-bleef). Built from stadiger = slower; asseblief = please.
To say “Can you help me?” in Afrikaans: Kan jy my help? (kan yay may help). Built from kan jy = can you; my = me; help = help.
To say “Do you speak English?” in Afrikaans: Praat jy Engels? (praht yay ENG-uls). Built from praat jy = do you speak; Engels = English.
Culture and etiquette
The braai, not the barbecue
A braai is far more than a barbecue — it's a national social ritual. Friends gather around the fire and the braaier (the one in charge) holds a position of honour. On the grid: boerewors (a spiced sausage), lamb chops and steak. 'Lekker!' — nice! — is the word of the day.
A daughter of Dutch
Afrikaans grew out of the 17th-century Dutch spoken by settlers at the Cape, and simplified it along the way — fewer genders, simpler grammar. Read it slowly and Dutch speakers can often work it out. It's one of the youngest Germanic languages.
Rugby is a religion
Rugby is South Africa's most-loved sport, and the Springboks are a national obsession. On match days the country turns green and gold. You'll hear hou koers! (keep going!) and plenty of lekker.
The language of the Cape
Afrikaans was born at the Cape of Good Hope — a meeting point of Dutch, Khoekhoe (Khoisan) and other languages. Its vocabulary carries words borrowed from Malay, Portuguese and the Khoisan languages, which is part of why it sounds so distinctive today.
"Lekker" — one word, endless uses
Lekker is the most useful word in Afrikaans: nice, tasty, great, good, fun. A lekker meal, a lekker day, lekker dancing — it covers approval of almost anything. Use it liberally.
A little Afrikaans goes far
A goeie môre and a baie dankie open every door. Afrikaans speakers often switch to English for you, but they light up the moment you try their language — effort matters more than perfection.
Example dialogues
At a café
You: Goeie môre! Een koffie, asseblief. (KOO-yuh MAW-ruh, ayn KOF-ee, uh-SUH-bleef) — Good morning! A coffee, please.
Barista: Seker. Vir hier of om te neem? (SAY-kuhr, fer heer of om tuh nayn) — Sure. For here or to go?
You: Om te neem, dankie. (om tuh nayn, DAHN-kee) — To go, thanks.
Barista: Asseblief — dit is twintig rand. (uh-SUH-bleef, dit is TWIN-tikh rahnt) — Here you are — that's twenty rand.
You: Baie dankie! (BAY-uh DAHN-kee) — Thanks a lot!
Getting around
You: Ekskuus, waar is die stasie? (eks-KOOYS, vahr is dee STAH-see) — Excuse me, where is the station?
Local: Reguit aan en dan regs. (ruh-KHOYT ahn en dahn rekhs) — Straight ahead and then right.
You: Dankie. Een kaartjie na Kaapstad, asseblief. (DAHN-kee, ayn KAHR-kee nah KAHP-stat, uh-SUH-bleef) — Thanks. A ticket to Cape Town, please.
Ticket: Nege euro. Die trein vertrek om tien uur. (NAY-khuh UH-roh, dee trayn fer-TREK om teen uur) — Nine euros. The train leaves at ten.
At a restaurant
Waiter: Goeie aand! Het u 'n bespreking? (KOO-yuh ahnt, het oo uh buh-SPRAY-king) — Good evening! Do you have a reservation?
You: Ja, vir twee. (yah, fer tway) — Yes, for two.
You: Die spyskaart, asseblief. (dee SPAY-skahrt, uh-SUH-bleef) — The menu, please.
You: Ek wil 'n bier en 'n glas water, asseblief. (ek vil uh beer en uh khlas VAH-tuhr, uh-SUH-bleef) — I'd like a beer and a glass of water, please.
Waiter: Goeie keuse! Lekker eet. (KOO-yuh KUH-zuh, LEK-kuhr ayt) — Good choice! Enjoy your meal.
Written by the LanguagePath editorial team from our own course material. Pronunciation guides are approximate English respellings; tap any phrase in the app above to hear it. Native-speaker review of every course is ongoing — tell us if you spot an error.