Afrikaans

Pronunciation: /ˌæfrɪˈkɑːns/

Definitions of afrikaans

noun a language spoken in South Africa and Namibia, derived from Dutch and characterized by its use of the Latin alphabet

Example Sentences

A1 I am learning Afrikaans at school.

A2 She can understand basic Afrikaans phrases.

B1 Studying Afrikaans has helped me connect with South African culture.

B2 I can have simple conversations in Afrikaans with native speakers.

C1 Her fluency in Afrikaans allows her to work as a translator.

C2 He is considered a master of the Afrikaans language.

Examples of afrikaans in a Sentence

formal The Afrikaans language originated from Dutch and is spoken in South Africa and Namibia.

informal I've been learning Afrikaans to better communicate with my South African friends.

slang My aunt speaks Afrikaans like a pro, she's been living in Cape Town for years.

figurative Learning a new language like Afrikaans can open up a whole new world of opportunities.

Grammatical Forms of afrikaans

• past tense: Afrikaans
• plural: Afrikaanses
• comparative: more Afrikaans
• superlative: most Afrikaans
• present tense: speaks Afrikaans
• future tense: will speak Afrikaans
• perfect tense: has spoken Afrikaans
• continuous tense: is speaking Afrikaans
• singular: Afrikaans
• positive degree: very Afrikaans
• infinitive: to speak Afrikaans
• gerund: speaking Afrikaans
• participle: spoken Afrikaans

Origin and Evolution of afrikaans

First Known Use: 1701 year

Language of Origin: Dutch

Story behind the word: The word 'Afrikaans' originates from the Dutch language, specifically from the term 'Afrikaans-Hollands' meaning African Dutch.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to the Dutch dialect spoken by settlers in South Africa, Afrikaans evolved into a distinct language with influences from various languages including Dutch, Malay, Portuguese, and indigenous African languages.