Free survival kit

Afrikaans survival kit

The 20 essential phrases and 100 key words to get by in Afrikaans when travelling.

20 phrases
100 key words in the PDF

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Greetings

Afrikaans	English
Goeiemôre	good morning
Goeiedag	good day
Goeiemiddag	good afternoon
Goeienaand	good evening
Goeienag	good night
Hallo	hello
Dankie	thank you
Ja	yes

Asking for directions

Afrikaans	English
huis	house, home
kamer	room
kombuis	kitchen
deur	door

Emergencies

Afrikaans	English
kop	head
oog	eye
oor	ear
mond	mouth

At the restaurant

Afrikaans	English
water	water
melk	milk
brood	bread
vleis	meat

30 key words to remember

Afrikaans	English
Nee	no
Asseblief	please
Verskoon my	excuse me
Totsiens	goodbye
Goed, dankie	fine, thank you
wees	to be
hê	to have
gaan	to go
kom	to come
eet	to eat
drink	to drink
slaap	to sleep
praat	to speak, to talk
hoor	to hear
sien	to see
weet	to know (a fact)
wil	to want
kan	can, to be able to
doen	to do
gee	to give
vat	to take
koop	to buy
verkoop	to sell
werk	to work
leer	to learn, to study
pa	father, dad
ma	mother, mom
seun	son
dogter	daughter
broer	brother

In context: 5 scenes to get by

On arrival

You arrive early in the morning in Stellenbosch at your host's place. You greet the lady of the house with Goeiemore, meet a neighbour with Goeiedag, then switch to Goeiemiddag at noon and Goeienaand as evening sets in.

Goeiemôre : good morning
Goeiedag : good day
Goeiemiddag : good afternoon
Goeienaand : good evening

In a taxi

The driver drops you off at the house (huis) you booked. You show him the room (kamer) you are renting, ask where the kitchen (kombuis) is and locate the door (deur) to lock for the night.

huis : house, home
kamer : room
kombuis : kitchen
deur : door

At the café

You sit down at a Cape Town cafe after a morning of sightseeing. You ask for a glass of water (water), some milk (melk) with your coffee, then bread (brood) and a portion of meat (vleis) for lunch.

water : water
melk : milk
brood : bread
vleis : meat

In an emergency

You feel unwell and explain your discomfort to the pharmacist. You point to your head (kop), an eye (oog) or an ear (oor) that hurts, and also mention a dry mouth (mond) so he can advise you.

kop : head
oog : eye
oor : ear
mond : mouth

On departure

It is your last evening before flying out. You wish your hosts Goeienag at bedtime, give a final Hallo to neighbours who came to say goodbye in the morning, thank them with a warm Dankie and confirm with a sincere Ja when invited to come back.

Goeienag : good night
Hallo : hello
Dankie : thank you
Ja : yes

Cultural notes

Afrikaans is very close to Dutch. If you speak German or Dutch, you will recognize many words in writing, but pronunciation is softer and grammar much simpler (no personal verb conjugation).
Afrikaans is also spoken by a large mixed-heritage community in the Cape (Cape Coloureds), not only by white Afrikaners. This diversity is reflected in accents and expressions.
Goeiedag works all day as a safe greeting. Goeiemore in the morning, Goeiemiddag in the afternoon, Goeienaand in the evening: use the form that matches the time, locals notice.
The braai (barbecue) is a social institution in South Africa, especially on Saturdays. Being invited to a braai is a sign of friendship; bring a drink or dessert to share the collective effort.
English is widespread in cities, but slipping a Dankie or Asseblief into the conversation immediately earns goodwill, especially with elders and in rural areas.
Afrikaans carries a sensitive political legacy tied to apartheid. Be cautious in historical debates, listen before judging, and don't conflate the language with a political stance.
Distances in South Africa are huge. When someone says a place is just around the corner, it can mean several kilometres. Always check a map before setting off on foot.
Bargaining isn't the norm in regular shops but is expected at curio markets. Negotiate with a smile, without aggression: it's a social game.

Keep the whole kit on your phone

The 20 phrases, 100 key words and the cultural notes in a PDF to keep offline or print. We also send it to you by e-mail.

A grandparent couple laughing on a bench

A family language

Reconnect with Afrikaans

The language of your parents, your grandparents or your partner. The one you want to pass on to your children.

A smiling couple in matching outfits — Speaking the language of the country means reconnecting with its people.

A mother holds her baby close — Now, at home, we speak Afrikaans.

A woman smiles on the phone — “Hi Mum, I speak Afrikaans!”

A father and his son, side by side — Children who speak Afrikaans are the greatest cultural wealth you can bring to your family.

A family with two young children — Your grandparents’ Afrikaans should not end with them.

Finally understand what is said at the table, and answer back.
Your in-laws speak Afrikaans to you. Answer them in Afrikaans.

A language is passed down from generation to generation. Now it is your turn.

Start Afrikaans for free

About this kit

Afrikaans is a Germanic language born in South Africa, spoken by about seven million native speakers in South Africa and Namibia. It evolved from colonial Dutch and absorbed Malay, Khoisan and Bantu influences. With this kit, you have the essentials to greet, find your way and get by in Cape Town, Pretoria or out in the veld.

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken mainly in South Africa and Namibia. With about seven million native speakers and around ten million people who understand it, it is one of South Africa's eleven official languages. Stemming from the Dutch brought by colonial settlers in the Cape from 1652 onwards, it gradually drifted away from its parent language to become distinct, officially recognized in 1925. Its evolution was shaped by borrowings from Malay, Portuguese creole, Khoisan and Bantu languages, giving it a unique flavour. Grammar is significantly simpler than Dutch: no personal verb conjugation, simplified gender, transparent sentence structure. This makes Afrikaans one of the most accessible Germanic languages for learners. Pronunciation has a few surprises (the guttural g, double vowels, diphthongs) but remains readable for anyone with prior exposure to Dutch or German. Culturally, Afrikaans carries an active music scene, a rich literature (Andre Brink, Antjie Krog, Marlene van Niekerk) and a renewed film industry. The language is also tied to a sensitive political history linked to apartheid, which must be understood to grasp contemporary sensitivities. This kit brings together the bare essentials to greet, find your way around a house or city, order food and drink, face an emergency and take leave politely, alongside a glossary of everyday words and verbs.

Sources and references

Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.

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