Wow, congratulations—you're at an advanced level in your Afrikaans studies! Good for you.  Hopefully, you won’t stop now, because there's a lot more to master. To help you, we have compiled some advanced Afrikaans words and phrases in the most pertinent categories for easy access and assimilation. If you want to improve your advanced Afrikaans vocabulary, wordlists like these are among the best tools to use. Also, feel free to ask us in the comments if anything needs clarification. Remember to keep your learning fun by using fun resources. For instance, take a look at this article about a great online resource that's completely free! Onthou om jou studies te geniet. / "Remember to enjoy your studies." Great! Let's get busy... Show more

Negation is, very simply put, the so-called "negative form" in a language. We use it when we want to express the opposite of a positive or affirmative statement. What is the negative form in Afrikaans? Let's dig in! One of the most fascinating features of the Afrikaans language is its use of the double negative, which means that two negatives resolve into one negative. For instance, in English one would say, "He cannot speak Afrikaans," and only use the word ‘not’ once. However, to express the negative in Afrikaans, we usually have to use the negating word twice:    Sy kan nie Afrikaans praat nie. Literally: "She cannot Afrikaans speak not." The negating word in the example above is nie and, as you will have gathered, nie... Show more

Tenses in Afrikaans are not as hard to master as those of many older languages. In fact, there's no need to feel tense about tenses! Dis nie nodig om gespanne te voel oor Afrikaanse tye nie! / "There's no need to feel tense about Afrikaans tenses!" How Do We Indicate Afrikaans Tenses? In Afrikaans, the verbs usually inflect for time, just as in English. This is called "conjugation" (werkwoord verbuiging) and it’s characterized by a change to the form of the verb—in this case, to indicate the tense. (Think "walk" vs. "walked." Here, the verb has a suffix to indicate that the action took place in the past.) → Sound complex? It isn't, really, once you get the hang of it. Read more about Afrikaans conjugations in our blogpost... Show more

Hoe lank neem dit om Afrikaans te leer? (How long does it take to learn Afrikaans?)  Well, it's not possible to tell this with 100% accuracy, because the speed of one’s learning progress depends on a few variables. Any answer to this question should probably start with the sober truth, though, which is that learning any new language (at least to a level of reasonable proficiency) normally takes many hours of study and practice. That's simply the nature of language studies. Of course, one can speed up the process with good learning tools and study habits. But mastering it overnight or in only a couple of weeks from scratch? That only happens in the movies. But don't be discouraged! It is possible to be a winner at learning... Show more

The word "proverb" (spreekwoord in Afrikaans) is derived from the Latin proverbium. Collins Dictionary defines it as a short sentence that people often quote to give advice, or one that says something about life. Proverbs also tend to employ the same vivid imagery and metaphoric language common in children's stories. So, perhaps they’re an adult throwback to children’s fiction—who knows? Proverbs touch us on a very deep level, as they go beyond nationality, gender, race, religion, and time. In this way, they connect us to one another with their universal truths and wisdom. The Afrikaans proverbs I'm going to cover in this article are sure to ignite your imagination and make you feel more connected to Afrikaner culture. Ma en... Show more

Before we delve into this Afrikaans grammar guide, let’s get this out of our systems: Grammar in any language is a strange bird. Look at this joke in English, for instance: Question: What is the longest sentence in the English language?  Answer: "I do." Did you get it? If you didn't and you're an AfrikaansPod101 Premium PLUS student already, why not ask your tutor? If you’re not a member (or a punster), let me explain. "Sentence" means two things in English. This is how the online dictionary defines it: A "sentence" is: 1. a set of words in most languages that is complete in itself, usually containing a subject and a clause that states something about the subject (A clause is a phrase or a part of a sentence.) 2. the... Show more

This is not an easy question to answer! How hard it is to learn Afrikaans depends on a few things, really. Afrikaans is the world’s youngest official language. Known as "Cape Dutch" or "Colonial Dutch" back in the day, Afrikaans was only considered a "real language" in the previous century. Over the years, it has been influenced by many other languages, including Arabic, French, and Russian. So it can appear pretty daunting to learn! However, AfrikaansPod101 is an easy way to learn Afrikaans because we simplify the learning steps for you. We introduce many simple but effective ways to learn Afrikaans while having fun at the same time! And our blog posts are informative and culturally relevant, such as this one on Afrikaans Etiquette... Show more

We tend to experience mistakes as either Tyrants or Teachers. Sometimes, we make regrettable mistakes that we berate ourselves over; other mistakes slide off us like rainwater. In Afrikaans, we have a popular idiom: Probeer maak die beste geweer. (Lit. "Trying makes the best gun.") This roughly means that you won't know if you can hit a target unless you shoot! The secret is simply to not give up, no matter how often you repeat a mistake in Afrikaans! We understand this very well at AfrikaansPod101.com. Dig into this guide to avoid making any of these common Afrikaans language mistakes! Table of Contents Vocabulary and Grammatical Mistakes Pronunciation Mistakes Spelling Mistakes - Compounds and Emphasis Other... Show more

Questions are language constructs we use to elicit information from other people, making them crucial in communication! Knowing stuff helps you navigate your way in this world—every child knows this.  And any parent will tell you that even babies know how to "ask"! So, if your plan is to connect and communicate with Afrikaners, it's very important to learn or brush up on the  most common Afrikaans questions and answers.Afrikaners are nice—like the country's climate, they're warm and friendly. And they love to chat, especially with new friends! So at AfrikaansPod101.com, we make sure that you master the Afrikaans you need to connect with them. Learn the most useful Afrikaans questions and answers quickly and easily in this... Show more

Afrikaans is a daughter-language of Dutch, which informs about ninety percent of its vocabulary. However, many other languages helped shape Afrikaans! These include Malay and all of the African languages, as well as Portuguese, Arabic, French, German, and even Russian.  With such a mixed pot, you'd think that Afrikaans sentence patterns would be very complex and difficult to learn. You would be both right and wrong!  Certain aspects of Afrikaans sentence structures are indeed complex, but the basics are pretty easy to master. With a bit of effort, you could be speaking like a native in no time.  Also, at AfrikaansPod101.com, we understand that in order to master the content successfully, the learning process needs to be enjoyable.... Show more