Are you looking for an interesting new language challenge? Try your hand at learning some Afrikaans!

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mostly spoken in South Africa and neighbouring countries like Namibia and Botswana. Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch, which means there is a large degree of mutual intelligibility between the two languages.

The good news is that Afrikaans is considered one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers.

While it is not necessary to know Afrikaans to get by in South Africa (almost everyone can speak English), knowing a few useful phrases will definitely make you popular with the locals.

Here are a few essential Afrikaans words and phrases (with recordings for pronunciation) to help you get started.

Greetings & introductions

Hello – Hallo

Good morning – Goeie môre

Good evening – Goeie naand

Pleased to meet you – Aangename kennis

How are you? – Hoe gaan dit?

Good thanks, and you? (in response to ‘How are you?’) – Goed dankie, en met jou?

What is your name? – Wat is jou naam?

My name is… – My naam is…

Good bye – Totsiens

Have a nice day! – Lekker dag!

Go well – Mooi loop

Essential words and phrases

Excuse me – Verskoon my

Yes – Ja

No – Nee

No, thank you – Nee dankie

Please – Asseblief

Thank you – Dankie

Thank you very much – Baie dankie

You’re welcome! – Plesier!

I like… – Ek hou van… 

I don’t like… – Ek hou nie van … nie.

May/can I please… – Mag/kan ek asseblief…

Sorry – Jammer

What time is it? – Hoe laat is dit?

I would like to… – Ek wil graag…

Where is the bathroom? – Waar is die badkamer/toilet?

Numbers 1-10

One – Een

Two – Twee

Three – Drie

Four – Vier

Five -Vyf

Six – Ses

Seven – Sewe

Eight – Agt

Nine – Nege

Ten – Tien

Making yourself understood

I can speak a little bit of Afrikaans – Ek kan ’n klein bietjie Afrikaans praat.

I can’t speak Afrikaans. Can you speak English? – Ek kan nie Afrikaans praat nie. Kan jy Engels praat?

Slower, please – Stadiger, asseblief

My Afrikaans isn’t very good. Can you please speak slower? – My Afrikaans is nie baie goed nie. Kan jy asseblief stadiger praat?

What does … mean? – Wat beteken …?

Can you please repeat? – Kan jy asseblief herhaal?

Sorry, I don’t understand – Jammer, ek verstaan nie

How do you say… in Afrikaans? – Hoe sê mens … in Afrikaans?

Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Can you please repeat? – Jammer, ek het nie mooi gehoor nie. Kan jy asseblief herhaal?

In an emergency

Please phone the police – Bel asseblief die polisie

Please call an ambulance – Bel asseblief ‘n ambulaans

I need a doctor – Ek het ’n dokter nodig

I’m ill – Ek is siek

I feel nauseous – Ek voel naar

I have a headache – My kop is seer

I feel dizzy – Ek voel duiselig

I don’t feel well at all – Ek voel glad nie lekker nie

I’ve been hurt – Ek het seer gekry

Can you please help me? – Kan jy my asseblief help?

Help me! – Help my!

Shopping

How much does it cost? – Hoeveel kos dit?

Do you have something a bit cheaper? – Het jy iets wat ’n bietjie goedkoper is?

It’s too expensive – Dit is te duur.

Can I use my credit card? – Kan ek my kredietkaart gebruik?

Do you accept American Express? – Aanvaar julle American Express?

Can I try it on? – Kan ek dit aanpas?

I’m not interested, thanks – Ek stel nie belang nie, dankie

Getting around

Where is the nearest…? – Waar is die naaste…?

Police station – Polisiestasie

Hospital – Hospitaal

Supermarket – Supermark

Pharmacy – Apteek

Airport – Lughawe

Bank – Bank

How far is … from here? – Hoe ver is … van hier?

Turn left – Draai links

Turn right – Draai regs

Keep straight – Hou reguit aan

I am lost – Ek het verdwaal

At a restaurant

Can I please have… – Kan ek asseblief … kry

I am allergic to… – Ek is allergies vir…

Can I please have a menu? – Kan ek asseblief  ’n spyskaart kry?

Check, please! – Rekening, asseblief!

Another … please – Nog ’n….asseblief

I have a reservation – Ek het ’n bespreking

Table for two, please – Tafel vir twee, asseblief

Are there any other Afrikaans phrases you would like to learn? Drop a comment below and I will help you out!