AfrikaansPod101.com Blog

Finding yourself in Afrikaans company, it can be difficult to start conversations if you're not a native speaker. The weather is a classic conversation starter, as the weather is always there, everywhere and for everyone! In South Africa, the weather and climate are temperate and pleasant in most areas, and, aside from its breathtaking beauty, the country is a top tourist destination for this reason. At AfrikaansPod101, we know how the weather can make or break a holiday or a stay! Therefore, we give you the most important facts about the weather South Africa experiences, and supply you with Afrikaans weather phrases. This way, you can start talking about weather in Afrikaans any time and plan your travels wisely. But first—what's the... 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

Depending on where you live, you most likely know what Valentine’s Day is, and celebrate (or dread) it every year. But what do Valentine’s Day traditions in South Africa look like? In this article, you’ll learn about how South Africans express their love for significant others on this day and more fun facts about Valentine’s Day in South Africa. If you want to learn romantic Afrikaans phrases to use on Valentine's Day, check out our Afrikaans Love Phrases blog too! 1. What is Valentine’s Day? As you probably know, Valentine’s Day is a special holiday for couples to express their love (liefde) and appreciation for each other. In South Africa, Valentine’s Day is a huge deal, and lovers will go out of their way for each other... 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

If you're looking to find a formal Afrikaans school of etiquette, South Africa will disappoint you, as there is none. This is mainly because the country is home to over a dozen different ethnicities and cultures, and they all have their own etiquette! Some overlap, but this is often called a South African trait, such as their gregarious nature. Most Afrikaners will treat you as well as—or better than—you treat them! Don't let the lack of distinct etiquette guidelines worry you, though, because at AfrikaansPod101, we teach you culturally-relevant lessons! This will prepare you properly for a visit to the country, speaking Afrikaans. In this lesson, we look at etiquette in Afrikaans-speaking populations in South Africa and how it’s used in... 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

On the Day of Reconciliation, South Africa both remembers its rocky, violent history and strives to move forward in peace and hope. The significance of Reconciliation Day in South Africa can’t be overstated, and if you want to really dig deep into the country’s culture, there may be no better place to start than here. In this article, you’ll learn about the importance of Reconciliation Day in South Africa, as well as its history and modern-day observations. Let’s get started. 1. What is Reconciliation Day in South Africa? Like many of the nation's public holidays, the Day of Reconciliation was instituted in 1994 after apartheid ended and all South Africans were enfranchised. So what is the purpose of Reconciliation Day? ... Show more

Sometimes, traveling to a foreign country where the natives speak a language completely different from your own can be rather challenging. In South Africa, you have more of a choice! English is one of the country's eleven national languages, and so is Afrikaans. While you'll be able to find your way using English, having useful Afrikaans travel phrases under your belt will definitely make for much easier traveling in this gorgeous country! The native speakers will also appreciate your effort to learn travel words in Afrikaans. Certainly, in Afrikaans language-learning, travel phrases are essential. We teach you the best basic Afrikaans travel phrases at AfrikaansPod101! With easy, online access to excellent learning materials and tools... Show more