Getting lost is never fun, even less so in a foreign country. Knowing how to give or ask for directions in Afrikaans is therefore a very helpful skill to have when visiting South Africa! Fortunately, most South Africans speak English, Afrikaans, and/or Zulu, three of the country's eleven national languages. They’re normally a helpful, friendly people. So, if you know all about asking for directions in Afrikaans, you won’t easily get lost! Learn the basics about how to give directions in Afrikaans (and ask for them), and more, at AfrikaansPod101. It's our goal to keep your learning fun and easy! Let's start with the basic vocabulary you need to master. Whether you're asking or giving directions in Afrikaans, knowing certain words and... Show more

Who doesn't love receiving compliments?! If they're sincere, they can make our whole being light up like a Christmas tree. Giving compliments also has benefits, and Afrikaners know this! Praising people makes us feel connected to them, and this improves our own sense of well-being. After all, South Africans believe in and uphold the spirit of ubuntu. This popular philosophy implies that our own humanity is only fulfilled through the recognition and appreciation of another's uniqueness and humanity. So, spread ubuntu by learning to give Afrikaans compliments (komplimente) like a native speaker at AfrikaansPod101.com—we make it fast, easy, and fun! Table of Contents Why is it Important to Know How to Give and Receive Compliments in... Show more

So, you know how to say "I'm sorry" in Afrikaans, and these are likely of the most important phrases to learn. Because no matter what language you speak, you're probably going to get angry at some point, say things you don't mean and then have to apologize for it. Yet, knowing how to get angry in Afrikaans has benefits too! Read on for more about that, also how it's all easily done through AfrikaansPod101! There are some serious upsides to getting angry: When your boundaries are being ignored, and the offender refuses to heed a gentle, civil admonition, showing your anger might be the only way to get your point across with good effect. Anger can give you negotiating power, research has shown. Furthermore can anger be a good motivator.... Show more

Prepositions in Afrikaans (called voorsetsels), like those in English, have one function only: to clarify the relationship between different concepts or words in a sentence. Look, for instance, at this one: "The girl stood under the umbrella." Here, the relationship between the concepts "the girl stood" and "the umbrella" is explained by the preposition "under." This is important, because prepositions impact meaning—the girl didn't stand "on top of," "next to," or "over" the umbrella (all of these are prepositions, too); she stood "under" it. In both English and Afrikaans, prepositions are easily confused with conjunctions (or voegwoorde). However, the differences between them are easy to discern once you know what to look out for. ... Show more

Want to have easy access to your Afrikaans friend's hearth and heart? Learn which holidays they observe and the life events they celebrate, and you're nearly there! Then, it will be good to know what messages they use on these occasions, including how to say "Happy Birthday" in Afrikaans, for instance. Another important one to know is "Happy New Year!" in Afrikaans. We teach you these and many more at AfrikaansPod101, ideal for learning without stress or struggle! Celebrating these life events is an excellent way to practice your Afrikaans and learn how to pronounce these phrases like native speakers do. Improve your vocabulary and overall speaking skills with these handy phrases. Using these, and engaging with your Afrikaans friend when... Show more

In sentences, adjectives are used to describe nouns, such as: "the brave boy." ("Brave" is the adjective, and "boy" is the noun in this clause.) These words, like adverbs, make any spoken or written language come alive, as they paint pictures that help us better understand what we read or hear. AfrikaansPod101 provides you with multiple lists of adjectives in Afrikaans, in both text and sound formats, and with context! With practice, and by applying what you learn in these lessons, you’ll soon know how to use adjectives in Afrikaans. Table of Contents What are Adjectives in Afrikaans? List of the Top 100+ Afrikaans Adjectives Short Exercise to Spot Afrikaans Adjectives AfrikaansPod101 Can Help You Use Afrikaans Adjectives... Show more

What better way to learn a language than through movies and TV shows?! At AfrikaansPod101, we encourage you to binge-watch these—a fantastic way to train your ear to Afrikaans dialects and accents, get used to how it’s spoken by native speakers, and learn about the culture! Fortunately, these days it's not so difficult to find Afrikaans shows and movies, using Showmax. Showmax South Africa is an online video-streaming service similar to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, with a great collection of Afrikaans gems of the screen. Further, Showmax Afrikaans content covers a wide variety of genres and storylines. Subscription works the same as it does on other online streaming services. The only drawback is that it may not be available where you... Show more

Before learning about Afrikaans rules for conjunctions, do you know what a conjunction is? Conjunctions are the type of words in a language that "glue" two words, phrases, and sentences or clauses together. For instance: 1- Joining Words: "Pepper and salt." Here, and is the conjunction that joins the words "pepper" and "salt." 2- Joining Phrases: "...in the air but not too high." In this sentence, the conjunction but joins the two phrases "in the air" and "not too high." 3- Joining Clauses/Sentences: "The man walks into the room as she gets ready to leave." In this instance, as joins the two clauses "The man walks into the room" and "she gets ready to leave." Afrikaans conjunctions (called voegwoorde in Afrikaans) obviously have the... Show more

It's obvious that knowing how to read the calendar in another culture's language is very important, especially if you're planning to work in that country. Showing up on the wrong day for an interview because you didn't know that Dinsdag meant "Tuesday" could cost you a lot! At AfrikaansPod101, we teach you the Afrikaans months of the year, as well as the days of the week and much more, to ensure this never happens! Read on for simple vocabulary, and learn how to say "week," "month," and "date," in Afrikaans. And afterwards, we’ll also be taking a look at important dates pertaining to South African holidays. Table of Contents Background - The Gregorian Calendar The Calendar Months of the Year in Afrikaans The Calendar Days of the... Show more

Family is important in every culture, no matter what size or form it takes. Interaction with this group of people gives us our first relationship lessons in life. If these are disrupted, it can have an impact not only on all of our other relationships and the way we bond with others, but also how we see and experience ourselves. At AfrikaansPod101, we’re aware of how important it is to know how to talk about families in Afrikaans. That’s why we’ve crafted this insightful article about Afrikaans words for family and family in Afrikaans culture, just for you! What is the role of family in your culture? And how important is family to you personally? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section! Table of Contents Family in... Show more