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

So, you know all about verbs in Afrikaans, but you're still unsure about conjugations. No problem! Let’s learn about Afrikaans verb conjugation together. In Afrikaans, it's pretty simple, as verbs conjugate (vervoeg) in only a few instances. In other words, with most Afrikaans tenses, there are some changes to sentence structure and words, but not to the verb. The only exceptions are in the case of past tenses and the present participle.  Fantastically easy, right? Yes! With AfrikaansPod101, this is definitely the case. Let's unpack this grammar rule in more detail, starting with some definitions. Table of Contents Inflection vs. Conjugation Afrikaans Verb Inflections and Conjugations Quiz - Which Ones are... Show more

Verbs are those words in a sentence that tell us what’s being done (or if it’s being done). In other words, a verb refers to an action.  Afrikaans verbs are, in some ways, easier to master than those in other languages. For instance, in Afrikaans, verb conjugation depends only on time! This means that the verb form remains the same for all pronouns:  Hy eet, ek eet, hulle eet, almal eet! "He eats, I eat, they eat, everyone eats!" Great, right?! At AfrikaansPod101, we’re going to make sure that you understand Afrikaans verbs and their classification with our Afrikaans verbs list. In this blog, we explain the basic types of verbs found in Afrikaans, and offer you easy-to-use lists at your fingertips!  Let's not dally, but... Show more

The word "pronoun" in Afrikaans is voornaamwoord. Like pronouns in most languages, Afrikaans pronouns are very necessary words to use and master. Without pronouns, a language could sound clumsy and be much more difficult to understand! But with AfrikaansPod101.com, this doesn’t have to be a problem. We help you learn not only the relevant vocabulary, but also the grammar and proper use of pronouns in Afrikaans—easily and excellently! Let's start with the purpose of pronouns. Basically, these are words that take the place of nouns (the very word "pronoun" should give that away!) in a sentence. This keeps us from repeating the same word or words over and over again. Also, as mentioned earlier, they ensure elegant and smooth speech and... Show more

Word order, or syntax, in any language is often a challenging thing to master, and Afrikaans is no exception. But once you're familiar with the most basic Afrikaans sentence structure rules, you'll find that the rest comes with less difficulty. At AfrikaansPod101.com, we know how to make it easy for you, so with a bit of effort, you'll have Afrikaans word order under your belt in no time! Table of Contents Structural Patterns in Languages Afrikaans Sentence Structure Rules STOMPI Explanation of the Sentence Elements in Sv1TOMPv2I More Examples of the Basic Afrikaans Sentence Structure: STOMPI Why AfrikaansPod101 is the Best Choice to Learn Afrikaans Sentence Structures! 1. Structural Patterns in Languages To... Show more

Like knowing your way around dates in Afrikaans (learn about that in our blog!), being able to tell time in Afrikaans is an equally important conversational skill to master. Also, it could save you a lot of embarrassment.  What good would it be if you knew you had to pitch somewhere on Dinsdag (Tuesday), but you didn't know the meaning of agtuur ("eight o'clock")? Or which agtuur of the day was being referred to?  Let AfrikaansPod101 make it easy for you. If you want, you can start with recorded vocabulary lessons like Talking about Time and dialogue examples such as Arriving at the Right Time in South Africa!  First, let's quickly get clarity on the two ways we tell time. Both are used to indicate time in Afrikaans. ... Show more

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