Introduction: what makes Afrikaans special?

Afrikaans holds a unique distinction: it is the youngest Germanic language on Earth. Spoken by approximately 7 million native speakers and understood by over 10 million people as a second language, Afrikaans emerged barely three centuries ago from the collision of Dutch colonial settlers, indigenous Khoisan and Bantu-speaking peoples, and Malay communities brought to the Cape of Good Hope.

Today, Afrikaans is one of eleven official languages of South Africa — alongside Zulu, Xhosa, and others — and is widely spoken in Namibia. A vibrant diaspora keeps the language alive in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

History of Afrikaans

The story begins in 1652, when the Dutch East India Company established a station at the Cape of Good Hope. Dutch settlers, joined by Germans, French Huguenots, and Scandinavians, spoke a colonial Dutch that gradually evolved through contact with Khoisan languages, Bantu languages, Malay, and Portuguese creole.

For over two centuries, Afrikaans was dismissed as a crude dialect of Dutch. The first language movement was born in 1875, and the language gained official status in 1925. As the language of the apartheid regime, it was forcibly imposed in Black schools, sparking the Soweto Uprising of 1976. Today, the majority of Afrikaans speakers are the Cape Coloured community, descendants of the very mixing that created the language.

Afrikaans Grammar: the simplest Germanic language

Linguists widely regard Afrikaans as the most grammatically straightforward Germanic language in existence.

No verb conjugation

Verbs do not conjugate for person or number: Ek is, Jy is, Hy is, Ons is, Hulle is (I am, you are, he is, we are, they are). The same applies to all verbs.

The double negative

Ek kan nie Afrikaans praat nie (I cannot speak Afrikaans). The first nie follows the verb, the second closes the sentence.

No grammatical gender

One article for everything: die (the) and 'n (a/an). No masculine, no feminine, no neuter.

The diminutive tradition

The suffix -tjie attaches to almost any noun: hond → hondjie (little dog), kind → kindjie (little child). Diminutives express affection and are essential to everyday speech.

Pronunciation guide

Afrikaans pronunciation is largely phonetic. Key points:

  • g : a guttural fricative, like "ch" in Scottish "loch"
  • r : trilled, as in Spanish or Italian
  • w : pronounced as English "v"
  • v : pronounced as English "f"
  • Word stress typically falls on the first syllable

    • Essential phrases in Afrikaans

    Afrikaans --- Hallo / Goeie dag Totsiens Dankie Asseblief Ja Nee Hoe gaan dit? Dit gaan goed Ek verstaan nie Praat jy Engels? My naam is... Hoeveel kos dit? Gesondheid!

    Counting from 1 to 10

    Afrikaans --- Een Twee Drie Vier Vyf Ses Sewe Agt Nege Tien
    English
    Pronunciation
    ---
    ---
    Hello
    Ha-lo / Hoo-ye dach
    Goodbye
    Tot-seens
    Thank you
    Dun-ki
    Please
    A-se-bleef
    Yes
    Yaa
    No
    Nee-uh
    How are you?
    Hoo chaan dit
    I am fine
    Dit chaan choot
    I don't understand
    Ek fer-staan nee
    Do you speak English?
    Praat yay Eng-els
    My name is...
    May naam is
    How much?
    Hoo-feel kos dit
    Cheers!
    Che-sont-hate
    Number
    Pronunciation
    ---
    ---
    1
    Ee-un
    2
    Tvee
    3
    Dree
    4
    Feer
    5
    Fayf
    6
    Sess
    7
    Say-vuh
    8
    Acht
    9
    Nay-chuh
    10
    Teen

    If you know any Dutch or German, these will look immediately familiar.

    Culture: beyond the language

    Literature: Breyten Breytenbach (poet and political prisoner), Andre Brink (first censored Afrikaans author), Deon Meyer (internationally acclaimed thriller writer translated into 25+ languages). Music: Die Antwoord (global hip-hop sensation), Karen Zoid (rock icon), Jack Parow (irreverent rap). Traditional boeremusiek and a thriving indie scene coexist. Rugby: The Springboks are more than a team — they are a national symbol. World Cup victories in 1995, 2007, 2019, and 2023 are milestones in collective memory. Food: The braai (barbecue) is the social cornerstone. Biltong (dried meat), boerewors (sausage), bobotie (spiced mince), koeksisters (syrup doughnuts), and melktert (milk tart) are staples.

    Why learn Afrikaans in 2026?

  • Gateway to southern Africa — the continent's most industrialized economy
  • Stepping stone to Dutch — ~90% mutual intelligibility
  • A global diaspora in London, Perth, Auckland, Dubai
  • Tourism — Cape Town, Kruger, Garden Route, Stellenbosch wines
  • Easiest Germanic language — no conjugation, no gender, phonetic spelling. Category I (FSI)

Start learning with Targumi

At Targumi, we offer Afrikaans courses designed for English speakers, taught by native South African tutors. Explore our Zulu and Xhosa courses for complete South African immersion, or discover Dutch to trace Afrikaans back to its European roots.

Visit our pricing page and start your Afrikaans journey today.