Translate English to Afrikaans
Translate your English text into Afrikaans instantly. Paste your text above, click translate, and the Afrikaans result will appear with audio playback.
Common English to Afrikaans translations
| English | Afrikaans | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hallo | HAH-loh | ||
| Good morning | Goeie môre | HOO-yuh MOR-uh | ||
| Thank you | Dankie | DAHN-kee | ||
| Please | Asseblief | AH-suh-bleef | ||
| How much is this? | Hoeveel kos dit? | HOO-feel kos dit | ||
| Where is the bathroom? | Waar is die badkamer? | vahr is dee BAHT-kah-mer | ||
| I do not understand | Ek verstaan nie | ek fer-STAHN nee | ||
| Can you help me? | Kan jy my help? | kahn yay may help | ||
| I would like coffee | Ek wil graag koffie hê | ek vil ghrahgh KOF-fee heh | ||
| The bill, please | Die rekening, asseblief | dee RAY-kuh-ning AH-suh-bleef | ||
| Nice to meet you | Aangename kennis | AHN-ghuh-nah-muh KEN-nis | ||
| Goodbye | Totsiens | TOT-seens | ||
| I need a doctor | Ek het 'n dokter nodig | ek het un DOK-ter NOH-dikh | ||
| Excuse me | Verskoon my | fer-SKOHN may |
Tips for English to Afrikaans translation
Afrikaans evolved from 17th-century Dutch brought by settlers to South Africa. It simplified Dutch grammar dramatically: no verb conjugation for person (only tense), no grammatical gender, and double negation (ek weet nie … nie). This makes Afrikaans one of the easiest Germanic languages to learn.
Afrikaans uses the Latin alphabet with no diacritics except occasional ê and ë. Spelling is highly phonetic. The pronunciation is close to Dutch but with noticeable vowel shifts and simplified consonants. Dutch speakers can usually read Afrikaans with some effort.
Afrikaans has borrowed from Malay, Portuguese, Khoi languages, and Bantu languages alongside its Dutch core. Words like baie (very, from Malay banyak), piesang (banana, from Malay pisang), and baadjie (jacket, from Malay baju) reflect the Cape colonial history.
Afrikaans word order follows Dutch patterns: SVO in main clauses, SOV in subordinate clauses. The verb moves to the end in subclauses: Ek weet dat hy kom (I know that he comes).
About the Afrikaans language
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken by about 7 million native speakers in South Africa and Namibia, with several million more second-language speakers. It developed from Dutch colonial varieties and was standardized as a separate language in the early 20th century. It is the youngest Germanic language.
Afrikaans is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. Despite its colonial origins, it is spoken across racial lines, with the majority of native speakers being Coloured (mixed-heritage) South Africans. Afrikaans literature, music (especially in genres like Afrikaans rock and boeremusiek), and film have a vibrant cultural presence in Southern Africa.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes. All Afrikaans characters output correctly.
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