Comparison of Afrikaans and Dutch

Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch^{[1][2][3][4][5]} and—unlike Netherlands Dutch, Belgian Dutch and Surinamese Dutch—a separate standard language rather than a national variety.^[6][7][8] As an estimated 90 to 95% of Afrikaans vocabulary is ultimately of Dutch origin,^[9][10][11] there are few lexical differences between the two languages;^[12] however, Afrikaans has a considerably more regular morphology,^[8] grammar, and spelling.^[13] There is a degree of mutual intelligibility between the two languages,^[8][14][15] particularly in written form.^[7][13][16]

Afrikaans acquired some lexical and syntactical borrowings from other languages such as Malay, Khoi and San languages, Portuguese,^[17] and of the Bantu languages,^[18] and to a lesser extent, Low German. Nevertheless, Dutch speakers are confronted with fewer non-cognates when listening to Afrikaans than the other way round.^[16] Mutual intelligibility thus tends to be asymmetrical, as it is easier for Dutch speakers to understand Afrikaans than for Afrikaans-speakers to understand Dutch.^[16] That opinion is not universal. There are some that believe that it is easier for Afrikaans speakers to understand Dutch, than the reverse. But, in general, research suggests that mutual intelligibility between Dutch and Afrikaans is better than between Dutch and Frisian^[19] or between Danish and Swedish.^[16]

Orthographic differences

Orthographic differences between Dutch and Afrikaans are mainly due to phonetic evolutions and spelling simplifications in Afrikaans, and the more conservative character of and recent changes to modern Dutch orthography.

However, some aspects of Afrikaans orthography also resemble those of older forms of Dutch, for example, whereas "God be with you" in modern Dutch would be God zij met u, God sy met u, used in Afrikaans, was also used in 18th century Dutch.^[20] The current Dutch spelling, using ⟨z⟩ and the digraph ⟨ij⟩, became prevalent from the 19th century.^[21]

Other simplifications in Afrikaans had earlier been proposed for Dutch by R.A Kollewijn, but were either not adopted until 1934, such as changing ⟨sch⟩ to ⟨s⟩ (hence Nederlandsch to Nederlands) or rejected, such as changing ⟨isch⟩ to ⟨ies⟩ (hence logisch to logies) and ⟨ijk⟩ to ⟨ik⟩ (hence moeilijk to moeilik).^[22]

Afrikaans simplifications

Replacement of ⟨c⟩ and ⟨ch⟩

Afrikaans uses ⟨k⟩ for the Dutch hard ⟨c⟩, both pronounced [k]; compare Dutch cultuur ("culture") with Afrikaans kultuur. Before the 1990s major spelling reform, the latter spelling was also accepted in Dutch,^[23] although other Dutch words such as commissie ("commission") were already spelt with ⟨c⟩, which in Afrikaans would be kommissie.^[24]

Words in Dutch with the letter combination ⟨cc⟩, when pronounced as [kk] are transliterated in Afrikaans using ⟨kk⟩, for example, acclimatiseren and accommodatie in Dutch become Afrikaans akklimatiseer and akkommodasie. Those in which ⟨cc⟩ is pronounced as ⟨ks⟩, such as Dutch accent and accepteren, become aksent and aksepteer in Afrikaans.^[25]

Similarly, Afrikaans uses ⟨s⟩ for the Dutch soft ⟨c⟩, both pronounced [s]; compare Dutch centraal ("central") and ceremonie ("ceremony") with Afrikaans sentraal and seremonie. Afrikaans also uses ⟨s⟩ instead of ⟨c⟩ in words like spesiaal ("special") and spesifiek ("specific") which in Dutch would be speciaal and specifiek.

Most Afrikaans words using ⟨c⟩ begin with the digraph ⟨ch⟩, such as Christelik ("Christian") or chemie ("chemistry") with some exceptions like confetti, although Afrikaans dictionaries may also list more phonetic alternative spellings using ⟨k⟩ or ⟨sj⟩, such as kronies for chronies ("chronic") and sjirurg for chirurg ("surgeon").^[26]

However, although the Dutch words China and Chinees (inflected as Chinese) are transliterated in Afrikaans using ⟨sj⟩ as Sjina, Sjinees, and Sjinese respectively,^[27] the Dutch spellings are also used, particularly in the media.^[28] In some Afrikaans dictionaries, China is standard, while Sjinees is listed as an alternative spelling to Chinees.^[26]

Transliteration of loanwords

French loanwords in Dutch beginning in ⟨ch⟩ (pronounced [ʃ]), are transliterated in Afrikaans using ⟨sj⟩; compare Dutch champagne and chic with Afrikaans sjampanje and sjiek.^[29] Afrikaans also changes ⟨gn⟩, encountered in French loanwords in Dutch like campagne and compagnie to ⟨nj⟩, hence kampanje and kompanjie.

When ⟨ch⟩ (pronounced [ʃ]) appears within a Dutch word, in its Afrikaans equivalent, it is replaced by ⟨sj⟩; compare machine with masjien.^[30] This also applies to word endings; compare Dutch Jiddisch ("Yiddish") with Afrikaans Jiddisj,^[31] although the latter is also encountered in Dutch.^[32] In Dutch, hasjiesj ("hashish") is always written with ⟨sj⟩ similar to hasjisj in Afrikaans.^[29]

The Dutch word cheque, in which ⟨ch⟩ is pronounced as [tʃ], is written in Afrikaans as tjek, while the Italian-derived word cello is written as tjello. Both languages also use ⟨tsj⟩ (also pronounced as [tʃ]) in some geographical names, despite other differences in spelling; compare Dutch Tsjaad ("Chad") with Afrikaans Tsjad.

Changes to digraph ⟨ij⟩

The Dutch digraph ⟨ij⟩ was converted to ⟨y⟩ in Afrikaans, although pronunciation remained [ɛi]. An example is prijs (price), which is spelt prys in Afrikaans. Dutch words ending in ⟨lijk⟩, however, end in ⟨lik⟩ in Afrikaans, not ⟨lyk⟩, for example lelijk (ugly) in Dutch becomes lelik in Afrikaans. In both languages, this suffix is pronounced [lək], with a schwa.

In Dutch, in which ⟨ij⟩ is treated as a separate letter of the alphabet, IJ often features in place names in the Netherlands like IJsselmeer, or in the Dutch name for Iceland, IJsland. Afrikaans similarly uses Ysland,^[33] which was also used in 18th century Dutch.^[34]

However, few place names in South Africa of Dutch origin begin with Y, with the exception of Yzerfontein in the Western Cape. The spelling of name of the town, which means iron fountain, is based on the old Dutch word for iron, yzer.^[35] It was also previously written as Ijsterfontein.^[36] The modern Afrikaans word for iron is yster, while in Dutch it is ijzer.

In modern Dutch, ⟨y⟩ is now typically used in words of Greek origin like cyclus ("cycle") replaced by ⟨i⟩ in its Afrikaans equivalent siklus, although both are pronounced as [i]. However, unlike the ⟨y⟩ in Dutch syndroom ("syndrome"), the ⟨i⟩ in Afrikaans sindroom is pronounced as [ə], as the stress falls on the second syllable.

Mergers of digraphs or trigraphs

Afrikaans merged Dutch trigraphs ⟨tie⟩, ⟨cie⟩ and ⟨sie⟩ to a single spelling ⟨sie⟩. Apart from ⟨tie⟩, generally pronounced as [tsi] in the Netherlands, there is no difference in pronunciation; compare Dutch provincie ("province") and politie ("police") with Afrikaans provinsie and polisie. However, words ending in ⟨tie⟩ in Dutch are often pronounced as [si] particularly in Flanders.^[37]

Afrikaans merged Dutch digraphs and trigraphs ⟨ou⟩, ⟨ouw⟩, ⟨au⟩, and ⟨auw⟩ (pronounced identically by many Dutch speakers) to a single spelling ⟨ou⟩; vrouw ("woman") and dauw ("dew") in Dutch become vrou and dou in Afrikaans respectively. Similarly, some Dutch words beginning with ⟨au⟩, such as autonomie are written with ⟨ou⟩, hence outonomie.

The Dutch cluster ⟨tion⟩ became ⟨sion⟩ in Afrikaans. Compare nationaal ("national") with nasionaal. In Dutch, the pronunciation differs from region to region and include [tsiɔn], [siɔn], and [ʃon].

Conversely, the Afrikaans cluster ⟨si⟩ in words such as spesiaal ("special") and pensioen ("pension") is pronounced as [ʃi] with an extra syllable ⟨i⟩, but in Dutch, both the ⟨ci⟩ in spesiaal and ⟨si⟩ in pensioen are pronounced as [ʃ], although the pronunciation [šj] is encountered in the Southern Netherlands.^[38]

Dropping of final letters

At the end of words, Afrikaans often dropped the ⟨n⟩ in the Dutch cluster ⟨en⟩ (pronounced as a schwa, [ə]), mainly present in single nouns and plurals, to become ⟨e⟩ Compare Dutch leven (life) and mensen (people) to Afrikaans lewe and mense. Also in Dutch, final -n is often deleted after a shwa, but the occurrence and frequency of this phenomenon varies between speakers, and it is not recognised in spelling.

Phonetically induced spelling differences

Simplification of consonant clusters

Afrikaans has frequently simplified consonant clusters in final position that are still present in Dutch, although they are used in inflected forms of adjectives, for example, bes ("best") in Afrikaans is still inflected as beste, as in Dutch, hence beste man ooit (best man ever) is correct in both languages.

At the end of words, Dutch clusters ⟨cht⟩ and ⟨st⟩ were reduced in Afrikaans to ⟨g⟩ and ⟨s⟩ respectively, with lucht ("air", pronounced [lʏxt]) and dienst (service, pronounced [dinst]) in Dutch becoming lug ([ləχ]) and diens ([dins]) in Afrikaans. Between two vowels, ⟨cht⟩ is replaced with ⟨gg⟩; compare Dutch echtgenoot ("husband") with Afrikaans eggenoot.

Similarly, whereas Dutch words like technologie ("technology") and monarchie contain ⟨ch⟩ (in this case pronounced as [χ]) their Afrikaans equivalents use ⟨g⟩, hence tegnologie and monargie. In other cases, ⟨ch⟩ is replaced with ⟨gg⟩, compare Tsjechische Republiek ("Czech Republic") in Dutch with Tsjeggiese Republiek in Afrikaans.

At the end of words, Dutch cluster ⟨ct⟩ was reduced to ⟨k⟩ in Afrikaans, hence Dutch contact and perfect with Afrikaans kontak and perfek. Similarly, ⟨ctie⟩ in Dutch (pronounced [ktsi]) is replaced by ⟨ksie⟩ (pronounced [ksi]); compare reactie ("reaction") and connectie ("connection") in Dutch with reaksie and konneksie in Afrikaans.

Consonant mergers

As a result of Afrikaans merging Dutch consonants ⟨z⟩ and ⟨s⟩ to a single sound [s], spelt ⟨s⟩, the use of ⟨z⟩ in Afrikaans is confined to words of non-Dutch origin, such as Zoeloe ("Zulu") and zero, or country names like Zambië ("Zambia"), while use of ⟨z⟩ is preserved only in Dutch place names in South Africa like Zonnebloem and Zeerust.

However, although Suid-Afrika ("South Africa") is used in Afrikaans rather than Zuid-Afrika as in Dutch, South Africa adopted "ZA" as its international vehicle registration code in 1936, which later became the country's ISO country code, with .za becoming the country's internet domain.

In the middle of words, Afrikaans merged Dutch ⟨v⟩ and ⟨w⟩ to a single sound [v] and consequently to a single spelling, ⟨w⟩. Compare Dutch haven (port) with Afrikaans hawe, both pronounced [ɦaːvə].

Afrikaans merged Dutch fricatives ⟨ch⟩ and ⟨g⟩ to a single sound [χ], spelt ⟨g⟩, except when preceded by ⟨s⟩ in which case ⟨sk⟩ (pronounced [sk]) is used where Dutch uses ⟨sch⟩ (pronounced [sx], [sχ] or [sç]) hence "school" is school in Dutch but skool in Afrikaans, but Dutch misschien ("maybe") is written with ⟨ss⟩, while Afrikaans miskien is written with ⟨s⟩.

Consonant omissions

Between two vowels, the Dutch ⟨g⟩ is omitted in Afrikaans; hence Dutch uses hoger ("higher"), pronounced [ˈɦoːɣər] and "regen" ("rain"), pronounced [ˈreː.ɣə(n)] while Afrikaans uses hoër ([ˈɦoːər]) and reën ([ˈreː.ɣə]), in which the second vowel requires a trema to avoid confusion with the digraphs ⟨oe⟩ ([u]) and ⟨ee⟩ ([eə]).

This also applies to Afrikaans nouns that, while ending in ⟨g⟩ as in Dutch, end with ⟨eë⟩ in the plural; while "railway" in both languages is spoorweg, "railways" is spoorwegen in Dutch ([spoːrʋeːɣə(n)]) but spoorweë ([spoərveːə]) in Afrikaans.

Between two vowels, Dutch ⟨v⟩ is omitted in Afrikaans; compare Dutch avond ("evening"), pronounced [ˈaː.vɔnt] and over ("over"), pronounced [ˈovər], with Afrikaans aand ([ɑːnt]) and oor ([oər]), with ⟨aa⟩ and ⟨oo⟩ both being pronounced as diphthongs [ɑː] and [oə] respectively. In Afrikaans, as in Dutch, oor also means "ear".

Where ⟨ov⟩ precedes final ⟨en⟩ in Dutch, as in boven ("above") pronounced [boːvən] and geloven ("believe") pronounced [ɣəˈloːvə(n)], in Afrikaans they merge to form the diphthong [oə], resulting in bo ([boə]) and glo ([χloə]). Similarly, open and samen ("together") in Dutch become oop and saam in Afrikaans.

At the end of words, Dutch ⟨g⟩ is sometimes omitted in Afrikaans, which opens up the preceding vowels, now written with a circumflex. For example, the Dutch verb form zeg ("say", pronounced [zɛx]) became sê ([sɛː]) in Afrikaans, as did the infinitive zeggen, pronounced [ˈzɛɣə(n)].

Alternatively, Dutch verb form vraag ("ask", pronounced [ˈvraːɣ]) became vra ([ˈvrɑː]) in Afrikaans, which is also the equivalent of the Dutch verb vragen, "to ask". Unlike Dutch, vraag in Afrikaans, pronounced [ˈvrɑːɣ], is only used as a noun meaning "question", with vrae, pronounced [ˈvrɑːə], being the plural form.

The word for "day" in both languages is dag, but whereas the plural in Dutch is dagen ([daːɣə(n)]), in Afrikaans it is dae ([daːə]). By contrast, wagen or "wagon" in Dutch, pronounced [ˈʋaːɣə(n)], became wa in Afrikaans, ([ˈvɑː]), with the plural form, wagens, pronounced [ˈʋaːɣəns], became waëns ([ˈvɑːəns]).

Circumflex

In contrast to Dutch, where the use of the circumflex is essentially limited to French borrowings, like enquête, Afrikaans makes frequent use of ⟨ê⟩, ⟨î⟩ and ⟨ô⟩, ⟨û⟩; examples include nêrens ("nowhere", Dutch nergens), wîe ("wedges", Dutch wiggen), môre ("morning", Dutch morgen), and brûe ("bridges", Dutch bruggen).

As a result of the disappearance of consonants found in equivalent Dutch words, particularly ⟨g⟩, Afrikaans uses circumflexes with single vowel letters in open syllables to indicate the long monophthongal pronunciations [eː] or [ɛː], [ɘː], [ɔː], [œː], as opposed to the vowel letters without a circumflex, pronounced as [eə], [i], [oə] and [y], respectively.

Diminutive

In diminutive forms, Afrikaans uses ⟨tjie⟩ and ⟨etjie⟩ (normally pronounced [ki] and [əki]) where Standard Dutch would use ⟨tje⟩ (pronounced [cə] or [tjə]). For example, whereas the diminutive of beet ("bit") in Dutch would be beetje (pronounced [beːtjə]), in Afrikaans, the diminutive of biet would be bietjie (pronounced [biːki]).

In Belgium and the Southern Netherlands, the diminutive is often realised as [kə] in the spoken language. Conversely, in the Western Cape, it is common to hear it realised as [tji]. The diminutive of words ending in ⟨k⟩ in Afrikaans is ⟨ie⟩, hence whereas doek in Dutch becomes doekje, in Afrikaans, it becomes doekie.

Where Dutch would use ⟨je⟩, ⟨pje⟩ and ⟨mpje⟩ (pronounced [jə], [pjə] and [mpjə]) Afrikaans would use ⟨ie⟩, ⟨pie⟩ and ⟨mpie⟩ (pronounced [i], pi] and [mpi]) hence the diminutives of glas, kop and probleem in Dutch would become glaasje, kopje and probleempje, while in Afrikaans they would be glasie, koppie and probleempie, with an extra ⟨p⟩ being added to kop.

Other words formed from diminutives in Dutch ending in ⟨tje⟩ may have different equivalents in Afrikaans; for example, the Dutch term of endearment schatje (the diminutive of schat or "sweetheart", literally "treasure") is skattie, of which skatjie is used either as the dimunitive or to mean "little treasure".^[39]

In both languages, the word for "niece" is a diminutive of the word for "female cousin", but owing to the simplification of consonant clusters in Afrikaans, nig becomes niggie, using ⟨gie⟩ in contrast to Dutch, in which nicht becomes nichtje. The adjectives saggies and zachtjes, both meaning "softly", are diminutives of Afrikaans sag and Dutch zacht respectively.

Other spelling differences

Unlike Dutch, the names of months in Afrikaans are capitalised, hence 2 June 2016 would be written as 2 Junie 2016,^[40] whereas in Dutch, it would be written as 2 juni 2016.^[41]

Phonetic differences

Afrikaans pronunciation tends to be closest to the dialects of the province of South Holland, in particular that of Zoetermeer.^[5]

Consonant mergers

Afrikaans merged Dutch consonants ⟨z⟩ and ⟨s⟩ to a single sound [s], spelt ⟨s⟩, with zorg ("care") and zout ("salt") in Dutch became sorg and sout in Afrikaans. A similar phonetic evolution can be found in the Northern Netherlands.

At the start of words, Afrikaans often merged Dutch voiced [v] with voiceless [f], as in "ver" (far), pronounced [fɛr] in Afrikaans and [vɛr] in Standard Dutch. The same merger is present though in the areas around Amsterdam, where all voiced consonants merged with the voiceless ones, pronounced as the latter ones.

Afrikaans merged Dutch voiced [w] with voiced [v], as in "werk" (work), pronounced [vɛrk] in Afrikaans and [wɛrk] in Belgium and Suriname or [ʋɛrk] in the Netherlands. A similar near-assimilation of ⟨w⟩ to ⟨v⟩ can also be found in the Northern Netherlands, where ⟨w⟩ is pronounced [ʋ], and ⟨v⟩ [v].

Fricative mergers

In Afrikaans, Dutch fricatives ⟨ch⟩ and ⟨g⟩ were merged to a single sound [χ]. A similar phonetic evolution can be heard in the Northern Netherlands, where the sounds have also been merged to [χ] or [x], although the spelling difference has been retained. In Belgium and Suriname, however, the phonetic distinction between ⟨ch⟩ and ⟨g⟩ has been preserved.^[42]

Afrikaans uses only [sk] (written as ⟨sk⟩) in initial syllables where Dutch uses [sx], [sχ] or [sç] (written as ⟨sch⟩), hence skoonheid ("beauty") in Afrikaans is schoonheid in Dutch. However, in some Dutch dialects, notably Southern West Flemish, ⟨sk⟩ can also be heard, in the middle of words as well as syllable-initially.^[43]

Grammatical differences

Grammatical differences are arguably the most considerable difference between Afrikaans and Dutch, as a result of the loss of inflections in Afrikaans, as well as the loss of some verb tenses, leading to it being greatly simplified in its grammar compared to Dutch.

Unlike Dutch, Afrikaans has no grammatical gender, and therefore only has one form of the definite article die, while standard Dutch has two (de for both masculine and feminine nouns and het for neuter ones) and Dutch dialects in the Southern Netherlands have a third, den, used for masculine nouns.

The verb "to be" in Afrikaans is wees (from Dutch wezen); the Dutch zijn only survives in Afrikaans in the form of the subjunctive sy, as in God sy met u ("God be with you").^[44] In Dutch, as in Afrikaans, wees is used as an imperative, hence wees sterk! ("be strong!") while wezen is used as a less formal form of to be than zijn.

Verb conjugations

In Afrikaans verbs, the same form is generally used for both the infinitive and the present tense, with the exception of wees ("to be") conjugated as is and hê ("to have") conjugated as het, and there is no inflection for person; contrast ek gaan with ik ga, hy doen with hij doet, and julle was with jullie waren.

The past participle is usually regularly formed by adding the prefix ge- to the verb, hence gedoen ("done") is formed from doen in Afrikaans, although Dutch gedaan survives in Afrikaans as welgedaan! ("well done!") One exception is the verb hê ("to have") of which the past participle is gehad.

All other verbs use the existing form as the past participle. For example, "to pay" is betaal and "I have paid" is "ek het betaal", while "to translate" is "vertaal" and "he has translated" is hy het vertaal; Dutch would use betaald (from betalen) and vertaald (from vertalen) respectively.

Verb tenses

Afrikaans has dropped the simple past tense for all but eight verbs, of which five are modals, the three others being rarely used; instead it uses either the present perfect or the present tense, depending on context, the latter being used as the historical present. It has also lost the pluperfect, with the present perfect being used instead.

Consequently, the sentence ek het die boek vir haar gegee in Afrikaans can be translated into Dutch as ik heb het boek aan haar gegeven ("I have given the book to her") ik gaf het boek aan haar ("I gave the book to her") or ik had het boek aan haar gegeven ("I had given the book to her").

Whereas Dutch distinguishes between verbs that use zijn ("to be") and verbs that use hebben ("to have") in the present perfect, Afrikaans has dropped this distinction, instead using hê ("to have"), hence "he has been" is hy het gewees in Afrikaans, while hij is geweest would be used in Dutch.

The past tense of the passive voice in Afrikaans uses is, the present tense of wees instead of word, hence dit word geskryf ("it is written") becomes dit is geskryf ("it was/has been written").^[45] In Dutch, the passive voice can be constructed by both zijn and worden, hence het is/wordt geschreven, and het was/werd geschreven.

Unlike Dutch, which, like English, has a continuous tense using the verb zijn ("to be") with aan het ("on the") and the infinitive, Afrikaans has no direct equivalent. However, "I am reading", which in Dutch is ik ben aan het lezen, may be expressed periphrastically in Afrikaans as ek is besig om te lees (literally "I am busy to read") or "I am busy reading".^[46]

Omitting of subordinate conjunctions

In Afrikaans, as in English, it is possible to omit the subordinate conjunction dat ("that"); for example, the phrase "I believe [that] she has done it" can be translated into Afrikaans as either ek weet glo sy dit gedoen het or ek glo sy het dit gedoen, but in Dutch, it is not possible to do so, hence the sentence would be translated as ik geloof dat ze het gedaan heeft.^[47]

Merger of unmarked and unmarked forms of words

Whereas Dutch has unmarked and marked forms for pronouns, adverbs and indicatives, Afrikaans uses only one form; for example, whereas Dutch uses er to mean "here" or "there", Afrikaans only uses hier for "here" and daar for "there", as well as hiervan ("hereof") for "of this/these" and daarvan ("thereof") for "of that/those/them" , not ervan as in Dutch.

Pronouns in Afrikaans, whether subjects, objects or possessives, have only one form, derived from the Dutch marked forms; compare my in Afrikaans, which can be used either as the object "me" or the possessive "my", with Dutch marked forms mij and mijn, the unmarked forms being me for "me" and m'n for "my" respectively.

Dutch uses an apostrophe in some unmarked possessive pronouns instead of the digraph ⟨ij⟩, hence zijn "his" or "its" becomes z'n, whereas in Afrikaans, sy is not abbreviated. In Afrikaans sy also means "she", but Dutch equivalents ze (unmarked) and zij (marked) mean either "she" as in ze/zij is ("she is"), or "they", as in ze/zij zijn ("they are").

Similarly, Afrikaans uses only jy as the subject "you" (singular) where Dutch uses je or jij, jou as the object "you" where Dutch uses je or jou, and as the possessive "your" where Dutch would use jou or jouw.

Personal pronouns

Afrikaans, unlike Dutch, has no unmarked or marked forms of pronouns; whereas Dutch distinguishes between je/jij and ze/zij for "you" (singular) and "she" as subject pronouns, Afrikaans uses only jy and sy, while whereas me/mij and je/jij are the Dutch unmarked or marked forms of object pronouns for "me" and "you", Afrikaans only uses my and jou.

It also lacks the distinction between the subject and object form for plural personal pronouns; the first person plural pronoun in Afrikaans differs markedly from Dutch, with ons meaning either "we" or "us", in contrast to Dutch we and wij, hence "we go to the beach" is ons gaan na die strand as opposed to we gaan naar het strand.

Similarly, the third person plural pronoun in Afrikaans is hulle, used to mean "they" or "them", in contrast to Dutch in which ze and zij are used as plural pronouns, hence "they are the best" is hulle is die beste as opposed to ze zijn de beste, although hullie is encountered in Dutch dialects, particularly in North and South Holland.^[48]

Other possessive pronouns like ons ("our", inflected as onze in Dutch and onse in Afrikaans) and Dutch jullie ("your" plural, julle in Afrikaans) work in a similar fashion in both languages.

Demonstrative pronouns

The word die is used in Afrikaans as a definite article, but in Dutch, it is used as a demonstrative pronoun meaning "that" or "those", or as a relative pronoun meaning "who", "which" or "that", for which Afrikaans would use wat; compare Afrikaans die man wat weet ("the man who knows") with Dutch de man die weet.

For demonstratives, Afrikaans uses hierdie for "this" or "these" and daardie for "that" or "those", which are shortened to dié (with an acute accent) and daai.^[49] In Dutch, dit is used as the word for "this", whereas in Afrikaans it is the third-person singular impersonal pronoun meaning "it", with dis being a contraction of dit is, similar to "it's" in English.

Genitive

As Afrikaans has no genitive forms of nouns, the official titles of most countries include the word van, although this was considered optional, hence Republiek van Malta (as opposed to Republiek Malta as in Dutch) although Republiek van Suid-Afrika was previously considered an anglicism.^[50] However, the Union of South Africa was known in Dutch and Afrikaans as Unie van Zuid-Afrika and Unie van Suid-Afrika respectively.^[51]

The title "Kingdom of the Netherlands", which refers to the entire realm including its Caribbean islands, is known in Afrikaans as Koninkryk van die Nederlanden, a direct translation of the Dutch title Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, which uses the genitive article der meaning "of the".^[51]

Afrikaans may form compounds where Dutch would use separate words using the genitive or equivalent, or vice versa. For example, the Salvation Army is known in Afrikaans as Heilslëer,^[52] but in Dutch as Leger des Heils; conversely "Member of Parliament" in Afrikaans is Lid van Parlement, similar to English,^[53] while in Dutch, the term is parlementslid or kamerlid. However, in both languages, a member of a council or councillor is raadslid.^[54]

Possessive

Whereas Dutch uses an apostrophe with an "s" as in English to form the genitive, or alternatively an "s" without an apostrophe, Afrikaans uses se, hence Maria's huis and haar broers probleem would be Maria se huis and haar broer se probleem respectively.

Afrikaans, like Dutch, has possessive pronouns to indicate ownership, hence joune and jouwe, although Afrikaans omits the use of the definite article, hence is dit jou glas of syne? ("is that your glass or his?") rather than is dat jouw glas of het zijne? as in Dutch.

Similarly, van or "of" is also omitted in Afrikaans; compare dit is my fiets, waar is joune? ("that is my bike, where is yours?") to Dutch dat is mijn fiets, waar is die van jou?

Double negative

A notable feature of Afrikaans is its use of a double negative, which is absent in standard Dutch (yet still exists in some dialects like West Flemish).^[55] For example, Dutch Ik spreek geen Engels (I do not speak English) in Afrikaans becomes Ek praat nie Engels nie. Similar constructions can be found in French (Je ne parle pas anglais) but also in West Flemish (k en klappe geen Engels) as well as in other Dutch dialects in the southern part of Holland (Ik praat geen Engels nie)

Adjective inflections

Like Dutch, adjectives in Afrikaans are generally inflected (with a number of exceptions) in the attributive position (when preceding the noun) and not in the predicative. Unlike Dutch, this inflection depends only on position, not grammatical gender; for example, nasionaal, when followed by party becomes nasionale, hence Nasionale Party.^[56]

This also applies to adjectives from which the final "t" has been dropped, for example, while "first" is eers, not eerst, "first time" is eerste keer in both languages.^[57][58] Similarly, where consonant clusters have been simplified, for example, sleg ("bad") instead of slecht, the "t" is reintroduced, hence slegte tye^[59] ("bad times") similar to slechte tijden.^[60]

Similarly, just as Dutch adjectives ending with -ief, such as positief, are inflected to end with -ieve, for example, positieve reactie^[61] ("positive reaction") their equivalents in Afrikaans end in -iewe, hence positiewe reaksie, despite the differences in spelling.^[62]

Vocabulary differences

Owing to the geographical and later political isolation of South Africa from the Netherlands, Afrikaans vocabulary diverged from that of Dutch, coining purisms or using loan translations rather than adopting terms found in English, as English was perceived as being a greater threat to Afrikaans in South Africa than it was to Dutch in the Netherlands.

French and Latin influence

While Dutch, like English, increasingly borrowed vocabulary from Latin or French, Afrikaans resisted such borrowing and instead favoured older Germanic equivalents, albeit with some exceptions; one of these is the Afrikaans word for "hospital", hospitaal, which, while understood in Dutch, is less widely used than ziekenhuis (literally "sick house").

For example, the word for "magistrate" in Afrikaans, landdros, comes from the Dutch term landdrost, a legacy of the old court system of the Dutch Cape Colony which survived its abolition and replacement by magistrate's courts under British rule, but the term is no longer officially used in the Netherlands, where the Latin-derived term magistraat is used instead.^[63]

Similarly, the South African Navy is known in Afrikaans as the Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot, the word vloot (meaning "fleet") having been used in Dutch for the navy of the Dutch Republic, known as Staatse vloot, but the modern Dutch navy is known as the Koninklijke Marine, marine being a French loanword.

In Afrikaans, Eerste-Minister ("first minister") was the official title of the Prime Minister of South Africa^[64] (before the post was abolished in 1984) and is still the official Dutch title of the Prime Minister of Belgium,^[65] but in the Netherlands, the term premier is used as a generic term for a prime minister or equivalent office holder, the official title of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands being minister-president.^[66]

In South Africa, the term premier is now more typically used in Afrikaans to refer to the head of government in each of the nine provinces, whereas eerste-minister is used for foreign leaders, and is used by the Afrikaans-language media in Namibia to refer to the country's Prime Minister.^[67]

Some French loanwords are common to Afrikaans as well as Dutch, such as regisseur, used in both languages to mean director of a play or film, although the use of rolprent in Afrikaans instead of "film" is considered old-fashioned in Dutch.^[68] The word redakteur ("editor") is used in Afrikaans as well as Dutch, but in the latter it is now written as redacteur.

Purisms and loan translations

As the influence of English was perceived as a threat to Afrikaans, there was a trend to coin purisms rather than to borrow from English or international vocabulary; whereas the word for "computer" in Dutch is simply computer, in Afrikaans it is rekenaar, from reken, meaning "to count".^[69]

Other purisms were less successful; beeldradio, a word for "television", proposed before its introduction in the 1970s, was abandoned in favour of televisie, already used in Dutch.^[69] In South Africa and Namibia, the TV licence is known in Afrikaans as TV-lisensie,^[70] whereas in the Netherlands and Flanders, the now defunct equivalent was known in Dutch as kijkgeld ("viewing money") or omroepbijdrage ("broadcasting subsidy").^[71]

There are some instances of Afrikaans using calques or loan translations where Dutch uses an English loanword, such as the word for "milkshake", melkskommel, from melk ("milk") and skommel ("shake" or "shuffle") in contrast to Dutch, in which the original English word is untranslated.^[72]

Similarly, English has influenced such terms in Afrikaans as bestuurslisensie, from bestuur ("driving") and lisensie ("licence") and grondboontjiebotter, literally "peanut butter". By contrast, the Dutch term rijbewijs, translates as "driving certificate", but while ry is used in Afrikaans to mean "driving", bewys means "evidence" or "proof".^[73]

The Dutch term for peanut butter, pindakaas (literally "peanut cheese") was coined because when it was first sold in the Netherlands, the term boter was a protected name and could only be used for products containing actual butter.^[74] The word pinda, a loanword from Papiamentu, spoken in the Dutch Caribbean, is ultimately of Kongo origin.^[75]

Comparison of vocabulary

Afrikaans	Dutch	English
aand	avond	evening
aartappelskyfies	aardappelchips	potato chips (US) crisps (UK)
afkappingsteken, apostroof	apostrof, weglatingsteken, afkappingsteken	apostrophe
amptelik	officieel, ambtelijk	official
as	als	if
asem	adem	breath
asseblief	alsjeblieft, alstublieft	please
baadjie, jas	jasje, vest	jacket
baba	baby, kindje	baby
baie	heel, zeer, veel	very, much
bakkie	pick-up	pick-up truck
beeldpoetser	media-adviseur	media spokesperson press officer
bergie	zwerver	vagrant
bestuurslisensie	rijbewijs	driving licence (UK) driver's license (US)
blokkiesraisel	kruiswoord	crossword
bokkie	schatje, liefje	baby, darling
bolla	zoet broodje	bun
braaivleis	barbecue	barbecue
Brittanje	Groot-Brittannië	Britain, Great Britain
bromponie	bromfiets, scooter	moped, scooter
daardie, daai	die	that, those
dagga	marihuana	marijuana, cannabis
dankie	dank je/u, bedankt	thank you, thanks
deurmekaar	doorelkaar	mixed up, confused
deur	door	through
die	de, het	the
duikweg	tunnel	tunnel
e-pos	e-mail	email
een	één	one
eiendoms beperk (Edms.) Bpk.	besloten vennootschap (BV)	propriety limited (Pty.) Ltd.
eksie-perfeksie	fantastisch	cool, great
ekskuus	excuus	sorry, apology
enjin	motor	engine
gatvol	zat zijn	fed up
geskenk	cadeau, kado (also used in Afrikaans), geschenk older term	gift, present
glo	geloven	believe
grondboontjie	pinda	peanut
grondboontjiebotter	pindakaas	peanut butter
gunsteling	favoriet gunsteling older term	favourite
Heilsleër	Leger des Heils	Salvation Army
hierdie, dié	dit, deze	this, these
hoender	kip less common: hoen, hoender	chicken
hoekom?	hoezo? waarom?	how come? how so? why?
hoezit! (hoe is dit?)	hoe gaat het? hoe is het?	how's it going?
hoërskool	voortgezet onderwijs (Netherlands) secundair onderwijs (Belgium)	high school, secondary school
Hollands (taal)	Nederlands (taal)	Dutch (language)
horlosie	horloge	watch
hospitaal	ziekenhuis, gasthuis, hospitaal	hospitaal
hysbak	lift	lift, elevator
inskrywing	abonnement, inschrijving	subscription
jol	leukheid	fun, party
kaartjie	ticket kaartje means greeting card	ticket
kameelperd	giraffe	giraffe
kampanje	campagne	campaign
Kanada	Canada	Canada
Kersfees	Kerstmis (Catholic) Kerstfeest (Protestant)	Christmas
kitsbank	geldautomaat, bankautomaat	cash machine, ATM
koerant	krant	newspaper
konserwatief	conservatief	conservative
kopiereg	kopierecht, copyright, auteursrecht	copyright
landdros	magistraat	magistrate
lê	leggen	lie, lay
leër	landmacht, leger	army
lemoen	sinaasappel	orange
Lid van Parlement (LP)	parlementslid, kamerlid	Member of Parliament (MP)
lirieke	songtekst	lyrics
lokprent	trailer	film trailer
lugmag	luchtmacht	air force
lughawe	luchthaven	airport
lugpos	luchtpost	airmail
lugredery	luchtvaartmaatschappij	airline
lugwardin	stewardess	air hostess air stewardess
mal oor	gek op	mad about
masjienkap	motorkap	bonnet (UK) hood (US)
meisie	meisje, meid	girl
melkskommel	milkshake	milkshake
moffie	homo	gay, effeminate man
moltrein	metro	metro, subway train
moontlik	mogelijk	possible
'n	een	a, an
na	naar	to
ná	na	after
naby	dichtbij	close to
naweek	weekend	weekend
nie	niet	not
niggie	nichtje	niece
Nieu-Seeland	Nieuw-Zeeland	New Zealand
nuus	nieuws	news
nuusblad, nuustydskrif	opinieblad, nieuwsblad	news magazine, news letter
onderskrifte	ondertitels	subtitles
oomblik	moment, ogenblik	moment
oopmaak, maak oop	openen	to open
oorklanking	nasynchronisatie	dubbing
oorspronklik	origineel, oorspronkelijk	original
oos	oost	east
openbare maatskappy	naamloze vennootschap (NV)	public limited company
ou, outjie	kerel, gozer	guy, bloke
outomaties	automatisch	automatic
padda	kikker pad means "toad"	frog
pak(ken)	take	seize, clutch
passasier	passagier	passenger
perd	paard	horse
peuselhappies	snacks	snacks
piesang	banaan less common: pisang	banana
pikkewyn	pinguïn, vetgans	penguin
polisiebeampte	politieagent	police officer
polisiekantoor	politiebureau	police station
posbus	postbus	post office box
poskantoor	postkantoor	post office
posman	postbode	postman
reisagent, reisagentskap	reisbureau (Netherlands) reisagentschap (Belgium), reisagent	travel agent, travel agency
rolprent	film rolprent considered dated	film
sakrekenaar	rekenmachine, zakrekenmachine, calculator	calculator
sambreel	paraplu	umbrella
sampioen	champignon	mushroom
saans	's avonds	in the evening
sê	zeggen	say
selfoon	mobiele telefoon	mobile phone, cellphone
sent	cent	cent
seuntjie	jongen zoontje means "baby boy"	boy, young man
sinies	cynisch	cynical
sjokolade	chocolade	chocolate
skadu, skaduwee	schaduw, schaduwbeeld	shadow
skakel	bellen (schakelen means "to change gear")	dial, call (telephone number)
skeelhoofpyn	migraine	migraine
skootrekenaar	laptop	laptop
slagoffer	slachtoffer	victim
slaptjips	frieten	french fries, chips
sokker	voetbal	football, soccer
soos	als, zoals	like, such as
spinnekop	spin	spider
spoed	snelheid	speed
staatsdiens	civiele dienst (Netherlands) overheidsdienst (Belgium)	civil service, public service
stasie	station	station
Statebond	Gemenebest van Naties	Commonwealth of Nations
stasiewa	stationwagen	station wagon, estate
streek	gewest, regio	region
stuurwiel	stuurrad	steering wheel
suid	zuid	south
suiwer	zuiver	clean
suurlemoen	citroen	lemon
sypaadjie	trottoir, voetpad	pavement (UK), sidewalk (US)
tjek	cheque	cheque, check
troeteldier	huisdier	pet (animal)
tuisblad	homepagina, thuispagina	homepage
uitgawe	editie, versie uitgaven means "expenditure"	edition, version
uitsaai	omroep, uitzending	broadcasting
uurglas	zandloper	hourglass
vanaand	vanavond	this evening
vanmôre	vanmorgen	this morning
verkleurmannetjie	kameleon	chameleon
vir	voor	for
vlak	niveau	level
vlugbeampte, vlugkelner	steward	air steward, flight attendant
voetsek! (voert sê ek!)	verdwijn!	get lost! away with you!
vrieskas	vrieskist	freezer
vuurhoutjie	lucifer	match, light
wa	wagen	wagon
wat	die	which, who
webwerf	website	website
weermag	krijgsmacht	defence force, armed forces
wêreldwyd	wereldwijd	worldwide
wees	zijn, wezen	to be
wes	west	west
woonstel	appartement	apartment, flat
yskas	koelkast, ijskast	refrigerator
Ysland	IJsland	Iceland
yster	ijzer	iron

Names of languages and countries

Unlike in Dutch, in Afrikaans, the word Afrikaans is not used to mean "African" in general; instead the prefix Afrika- is used, hence whereas African languages would be referred to in Dutch as Afrikaanse talen, in Afrikaans, they would be called Afrikatale.^[50] Conversely, the Afrikaans language is sometimes referred to in Dutch as Zuid-Afrikaans, literally "South African".^[76]

Although the Netherlands is formally called Nederland in Afrikaans, it is more colloquially known as Holland, as in English.^[77] The term Hollanders is similarly also used to refer to Dutch people in general, particularly in a historical context, while Hollands is used either to refer to the Dutch language or as an adjective, hence the expression die Kaap is weer Hollands ("the Cape is Dutch again") to mean that a situation has improved.^[78][79]

In the Netherlands, the former Dutch Reformed Church was known in Dutch as the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, but in South Africa, the two Dutch Reformed Churches are known in Afrikaans as the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk and Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk respectively, as Nederduitsch (or Nederduits) originally referred not to Low German but to any West Germanic language except High German.^[80]

Changes in meanings of words

Although the Afrikaans word as, like als in Dutch, means "if", it is also used as a conjunction to mean "than" with which to make comparisons, instead of dan, used in Dutch, hence "more than" is meer as (similar to mehr als in German) rather than meer dan, although meer als is also encountered in Dutch.^[81]

In Dutch, als can also mean "as" or "like", but Afrikaans generally uses soos, similar to zoals ("such as") in Dutch, whereas Dutch would use either als or zoals, hence the Afrikaans diere soos katte en honde... ("animals, like cats and dogs,...") could be translated into Dutch either as huisdieren als katten en honden or dieren zoals katten en honden....^[82]

While the Afrikaans verb heet can be used to meaning "to be called",^[83] like the Dutch heten, it is less commonly used for that purpose, hence "what is your name?" and "my name is John" would be wat is jou naam? "my naam is John", rather than hoe heet jy? ("how are you called?") and ek heet John.^[84] By contrast, Dutch would use hoe heet je? and ik heet John.

In Afrikaans, heet is used to mean "to be said", for example, soos dit heet ("as it is claimed") or, as in Dutch, "to bid", as in ek heet jou welkom ("I bid you welcome" or "I welcome you"). As an adjective, like the Dutch heet, it means "hot", as in "high temperature", and can also "fiery temper".^[85] In Dutch, heet can also mean "hot" in the sense of "spicy" or "horny".^[86]

Like praten in Dutch, the verb praat in Afrikaans means "to talk", but can also mean "to speak", where Dutch uses spreken; compare sy praat vlot Engels ("she speaks English fluently") with zij spreekt vlot Engels. However, Afrikaans uses sprekend as an adjective meaning "speaking", as in Afrikaansprekend ("Afrikaans-speaking").

Like "football" in American and Australian English, the term voetbal is not generally used in Afrikaans to mean soccer, which, unlike in Dutch, is called sokker.^[87] Instead, it is used in the context of other codes of football, such as American football, hence Amerikaanse voetbal.^[88] In Dutch, soccer is only used to refer to the game when played in the United States.^[89]

Changes due to spelling and pronunciation

The changes in spelling and pronunciation in Afrikaan means that two unrelated words become homophones and are written identically, unlike their Dutch equivalents; bly in Afrikaans, like blij in Dutch is used as an adjective to mean "happy", it is also a verb meaning "to remain", cognate with blijven in Dutch.

In Afrikaans, unlike Dutch, the word ná (meaning "after") is written with an acute accent, as na (derived from Dutch naar) means "to". Conversely, while the Dutch word for "one" is written as één, to distinguish it from the indefinite article een, in Afrikaans, een ("one") is written without any diacritics as the indefinite article in that language is 'n.

Similarly, as the Dutch word for "before", vóór, may be written with accute accents on both vowels to distinguish it from voor, meaning "for", although it is correct to write the word without them irrespective of meaning.^[90] By contrast, voor in Afrikaans only means "before", the word for "for" being vir, and so no diacritics are required.

In both languages, oor means "ear", but in Afrikaans, oor (derived from Dutch over can also mean "over" or "about", as in hy praat oor die weer ("he talks about the weather", or in Dutch hij spreekt over het weer).^[91] Although Dutch and Afrikaans share a number of words prefixed with ⟨oor⟩, such as oorsprong ("origin"), this is an unrelated word meaning "original".

Although kus in Afrikaans can mean "kiss", as in Dutch, the more usual term is soen, similar to Dutch zoen,^[92] as the homophone kus means "coast". In contrast to the Dutch equivalents kus and kust (plural kussen and kusten) it is only in their inflected plural forms kusse and kuste that the two Afrikaans words can be clearly distinguished.^[93]

False friends due to English influence

English influence has also resulted in changes in the meanings of some Afrikaans words, such as eventueel, which now means "eventual" or "eventually", rather than "possibly", as in Dutch.^[94] Consequently, some Afrikaans dictionaries give both meanings, with the entry for eventueel listing uitendelik ("finally") as well as moontlik ("possible") as definitions.^[95] However, the latter is described as Nederlandisties or "Dutch-influenced".^[96]

By contrast, other Afrikaans words cognate with Dutch ones retain the same meaning, such as aktueel, which, like actueel in Dutch, means "up to date" or "concerned with current affairs", although aktualiteit can also mean "reality" in the sense of the English word "actuality".^[97] The Dutch word actualiteit, on the other hand, only means "topicality" or "current events". Dutch also previously spelled both actueel and actualiteit with a "k".^[98]

Colloquialisms

Another consequence of the two languages diverging has been the differences between colloquialisms, meaning that a word in Dutch which has no offensive connotations is used as an expletive or term of abuse in Afrikaans, and vice versa, although other changes in meanings have also arisen.

For example, the Afrikaans phrase die meisie gooi haar flikkers ("the girl throws her sparkle") was highlighted by the Dutch journalist, Derk-Jan Eppink, in an article in the daily NRC Handelsblad, as an example of differences in meaning.^[99] In Afrikaans, flikkers by iemand gooi means to flirt with someone,^[100] but in Dutch, flikker means a male homosexual, while flikker op! is akin to the British English expletive "bugger off!"^[101]

List of words with different meanings

Word	Afrikaans meaning	Dutch meaning
aardig	pleasant, strange	friendly
Afrikaans	Afrikaans language	African, also Afrikaans language
amper	nearly	scarcely
bliksem	lightning, also expletive meaning "bastard" (as noun) and "bloody" (as adjective)	lightning
die	the	that one, which, who
dit	it	this, these
doos	box, also expletive "cunt"	box, case
een	one	a, an (indefinite article)
flikker	sparkle	queer, homo
fok(ken)	fuck, fucking	to breed, to rear
het	have, has	the (neuter gender)
Holland	Netherlands	former province of Holland
houtkop	racial slur for black African, literally "wooden head"	"wooden head"
kopje	small hill	cup
na	to	after
Nederduits	Dutch (as in Dutch Reformed Church)	Low German Dutch formerly used the term to refer to the Dutch language
neuk(en)	strike, hit	screw, hump, have sex with
piel	expletive "dick", "penis"	duckling
poes	expletive "cunt" or "pussy" (noun) or "fucking" (adjective)	pussycat, tabby (although poesje is used as a vulgar term for "vagina")
rand	edge, brink, rim	South African currency, reef
vat	take	grab, seize
voor	before	for, before (written as vóór in Dutch)

Influences on Afrikaans from other languages

Malay

Due to the early settlement of a Cape Malay community in Cape Town, who are now known as Coloureds, numerous Malay words were brought into Afrikaans. Some of these words entered Dutch via the Indonesian language as part of the colonial heritage. Malay words in Afrikaans include:^[102]

• Piesang, which means banana. This is different from the common Dutch word banaan. The Indonesian word pisang is also used in Dutch, though usage is less common.
• Baie, which means 'very'/'much'/'many' (from 'banyak') is a very commonly used Afrikaans word, different from its Dutch equivalent veel or erg.
• Baadjie, Afrikaans for jacket, where Dutch would use jas or vest. The word baadje in Dutch is now considered archaic and only used in written, literary texts.

Portuguese

Some words originally came from Portuguese such as sambreel (umbrella) from the Portuguese sombreiro, kraal (pen/cattle enclosure) from the Portuguese curral, and mielie (corn, from milho). These words have become common in South Africa to an extent of being used in many other South African languages. Some of these words also exist in Dutch, like sambreel "parasol",^[103] though usage is less common and meanings can slightly differ.

Khoisan languages

The word gogga, meaning insect, comes from the Khoisan word of the same meaning, xo-xo. Various other words used in Afrikaans also come from the Khoisan languages, such as assegaai (spear), karos (blanket of animal hides), and dagga (marijuana).^[102] Some of these words also exist in Dutch, though with a more specific meaning: assegaai for example means "South-African tribal javelin" and karos means "South-African tribal blanket of animal hides".^[104]

Bantu languages

The following words are some of the many Bantu words that have been adapted for use in both Afrikaans and South African English.^[102]

• Chana, from the Zulu word umtshana. Used to refer to a friend.
• Fundi, from the Zulu word umfundi. Meaning someone who is a student/expert on a certain subject, i.e. He is a language fundi.
• Tjaila / tjailatyd, an adaption of the word Chaila, meaning 'to go home'

Comparisons of various phrases in Afrikaans and Dutch

Afrikaans	Dutch	English
Verstaan jy my?	Versta jij mij? / Begrijp je me?[105]	Do you understand me?
Ek verstaan dit	Ik versta dit / Ik begrijp het[105]	I understand it
Wat is jou naam?	Hoe heet je? Wat is jouw naam?	What is your name?
Wat maak jy?	Wat ben je aan het doen? Compare Dutch Wat maak jij? (What are you making?)	What are you doing?
Ek hou van haar	Ik vind haar leuk	I like her
Ek is lief vir jou	Ik hou van jou Compare Dutch Ik ben lief voor jou (I am sweet to you)	I love you
Ek het jou lief	Ik heb jou lief / Ik hou van jou	I love you
Is jy honger?	Heb je honger? / Heb jij honger?	Are you hungry?
Dié boek is vir jou	Dit boek is voor jou	This book is for you
Ek het al geëet	Ik heb al gegeten	I have already eaten
Kom jy saam met ons?	Kom je met ons mee?	Are you coming with us?
Stem jy saam?	Ben je het daarmee eens? Stem jij daarmee in?	Do you agree?
Stem jy [daartoe] in?	Stem jij daarmee in? / Ga je daarmee akkoord?	Do you agree [to it]?
Oop vanaand	Open vanavond	Open tonight
Hulle woon hier	Ze wonen hier Dialectal: Hullie wonen hier	They live here
Kan ons die middestad besoek?	Kunnen we de binnenstad bezoeken? Belgium Dutch: Kunnen we de middenstad bezoeken? [106]	Can we visit the city centre?
Ek is halfpad daar	Ik ben halverwege	I am halfway there
Hierdie vrug proe/smaak sleg	Die vrucht hier smaakt slecht	This fruit tastes bad
Het jy dit gesê?	Heb jij dit gezegd?	Did you say that?
Hy het op die lughawe aangekom	Hij is op de luchthaven aangekomen	He has arrived at the airport
Moenie dit vergeet nie!	Vergeet hem niet!	Don't forget it!
As dit reën, sal dié sambreel jou beskerm	Als het regent, zal deze paraplu jou beschermen[107] *	If it rains, this umbrella will protect you
’n Lemoen is ’n oranjekleurige vrug	Een sinaasappel is een oranjekleurige vrucht	An orange is an orange-coloured fruit
’n Lemmetjie is ’n klein groen sitrusvrug	Een limoen is een kleine groene citrusvrucht	A lime is a small green citrus fruit
Ons hou daarvan om te braai	Wij houden ervan om te barbecueën Compare Dutch: braden (to roast), Wij houden ervan om te braaien (braaien is a recent loanword from Afrikaans) **	We love to barbecue
Ek kan dit nie glo nie	Ik kan dit niet geloven	I cannot believe it

* In some Dutch dialects it is also common to pronounce als as as.
** In Dutch, in some dialects d between two vowels tends to degenerate to i (pronounced -[jən]) or w (e.g. goedendag > goeiedag (good day), bloeden > bloeien (bleed), rode > rooie (red), poeder > poeier (powder), loden > looien (lead), lang geleden > lang gelejen (long ago), wij deden > wij dejen (we did), onthouden > onthouwen (remember)), some of which forms are more common and more accepted than others (dialectical, spoken, informal or standard language).

Comparison of sample text

Below is a comparison of the Afrikaans words of Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (currently the national anthem of South Africa) with the Dutch translation.

Afrikaans	Dutch	English translation (literal)
Uit die blou van onse hemel,	Uit het blauw van onze hemel	From the blue of our sky
Uit die diepte van ons see,	Uit de diepte van onze zee,	From the depths of our sea,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes	Over onze eeuwige gebergtes,	Over our eternal mountains
Waar die kranse antwoord gee.	Waar de rotsen antwoord geven.	Where the cliffs give answer
Deur ons vêr verlate vlaktes	Door onze ver verlaten vlaktes	Through our far-deserted plains
Met die kreun van ossewa.	Met het gekreun van ossenwagens	With the groan of ox-wagon
Ruis die stem van ons geliefde,	Ruist de stem van ons geliefde,	Rouses the voice of our beloved,
Van ons land Suid-Afrika.	Van ons land Zuid-Afrika.	Of our country South Africa
Ons sal antwoord op jou roepstem,	We zullen antwoorden op je roepen	We will answer to your calling,
Ons sal offer wat jy vra:	We zullen offeren wat jij vraagt	We will sacrifice what you ask
Ons sal lewe, ons sal sterwe,	We zullen leven, we zullen sterven	We will live, we will die
Ons vir jou, Suid-Afrika.	Wij voor jou, Zuid-Afrika.	We for Thee, South Africa.

See also

• Comparison of Norwegian Bokmål and Standard Danish
• Comparison of Portuguese and Spanish
• Comparison of Ukrainian and other Slavic languages

References

1. ↑ Jansen, Carel; Schreuder, Robert; Neijt, Anneke (2007). "The influence of spelling conventions on perceived plurality in compounds. A comparison of Afrikaans and Dutch." (PDF). Written Language & Literacy 10:2. Radboud University Nijmegen. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 2010-05-19. 
2. ↑ Mennen, Ineke; Levelt, Clara; Gerrits, Ellen (2006). "Acquisition of Dutch phonology: an overview." (PDF). Speech Science Research Centre Working Paper WP10. Queen Margaret University College. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-05-19. 
3. ↑ Booij, Geert (2003). "Constructional idioms and periphrasis: the progressive construction in Dutch." (PDF). Paradigms and Periphrasis. University of Kentucky. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 2010-05-19. 
4. ↑ Hiskens, Frans; Auer, Peter; Kerswill, Paul (2005). "The study of dialect convergence and divergence: conceptual and methodological considerations." (PDF). Lancaster University. p. 19. Retrieved 2010-05-19. 
5. 1 2 Wilbert Heeringa, Febe de Wet (2007). "The origin of Afrikaans pronunciation: a comparison to west Germanic languages and Dutch dialects" (PDF). University of Groningen. pp. 445–467. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 2010-05-19. 
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12. ↑ Sebba 1997, p. 161
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26. 1 2 Afrikaans-English, English-Afrikaans Dictionary, Jan Kromhout, Hippocrene Books, 2001, page 30
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28. ↑ China raak sku vir SA ingelegde vrugte, Landbou, 18 December 2015
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30. ↑ 'Niks kan Trump-masjien nou stuit', Netwerk24, 4 May 2016
31. ↑ n Vaste plek vir Afrikaans: taaluitdagings op kampus, Hermann Buhr Giliomee, Lawrence Schlemmer, African Sun Media, 2006, 19
32. ↑ Kroniek van het Jiddisj: taalkundige aspecten van achttiende-eeuws Nederlands Jiddisj, Ariane Zwiers, Eburon, 2003
33. ↑ My besoek aan Ysland, Sarie, 12 August 2013
34. ↑ Beschryving van Ysland, Groenland en de Straat Davis, Johann Anderson, D. J. J., Niels Horrebow, Johann Dietrich Winckler, Jan van Dalen, 1756
35. ↑ Lexicon Hieroglyphicum Sacro-Profanum Of Woordboek Van Gewyde en Ongewyde Voor- En Zinnebeelden, Martinus Koning, Van Braam, 1717, page 97
36. ↑ Records of the Cape Colony, George McCall Theal, Clowes, 1837-1919
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38. ↑ Nederlands in het perspectief van uitspraakverwerving en contrastieve taalkunde, Laurent Rasier, Academia Press, 2011, page 108
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40. ↑ Huisgenoot | 2 Junie 2016
41. ↑ nrc.next van donderdag 2 juni 2016
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43. ↑ West-Vlaams, Magda Devos, Reinhild Vandekerckhove, Lannoo Uitgeverij, 2005, page 54
44. ↑ A Grammar of Afrikaans, Bruce C. Donaldson, Walter de Gruyter, 1993, page 293
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46. ↑ Focus on South Africa, Vivian De Klerk, John Benjamins Publishing, 1996, page 110
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48. ↑ Taalkunde voor de tweede fase van het vwo, Hans Hulshof, Maaike Rietmeijer, Arie Verhagen, Amsterdam University Press, 2006, page 223
49. ↑ Dink 2 keer oor daai glas wyn, News24, 16 October 2016
50. 1 2 A Grammar of Afrikaans, Bruce C. Donaldson, Walter de Gruyter, 1993, page 108
51. 1 2 Notawisseling tussen de Nederlandse en de Zuid-Afrikaanse Regering houdende een overeenkomst [...] het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden en de Unie van Zuid-Afrika, Kaapstad, 20-02-1935, wetten.overheid.nl, 20 February 1935
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53. ↑ Afrikaans-English, English-Afrikaans Dictionary, Jan Kromhout, Hippocrene Books, 2001, page 173
54. ↑ Afrikaans-English, English-Afrikaans Dictionary, Jan Kromhout, Hippocrene Books, 2001, page 175
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57. ↑ Wawrinka wint voor eerste keer titel op US, NU.nl, 12 September 2016
58. ↑ Dodelike pes tref SA tamaties eerste keer, News24, 3 November 2016
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60. ↑ Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden gaat nog vier jaar door, RTL, 16 June 2015
61. ↑ Positieve reactie op btw-verlaging, NRC Handelsblad, 31 May 2016
62. ↑ Positiewe reaksie op negatiewe kritiek, Die Republikein, 12 November 2013
63. ↑ AIVD geleid door "vooroordeel tegen oudere homoseksuele man", NRC Handelsblad, 22 August 2015
64. ↑ Geredigeerde toesprake van die sewende Eerste Minister van Suid-Afrika: 1953-1974, Balthazar Johannes Vorster, O. Geyser Instituut vir Eietydse Geskiedenis, UOVS, 1976
65. ↑ Charles Michel Eerste minister van België, Government of Belgium
66. ↑ Rutte ontvangt de Britse premier May, Government of the Netherlands, 10 October 2016
67. ↑ Beweerde gekonkel met nuwe kantore vir eerste minister, Die Republikein, 27 July 2016
68. ↑ film, rolprent, NRC Handelsblad
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71. ↑ Omroepbijdrage wordt afgeschaft, Trouw, 20 November 1999
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74. ↑ Der Nederlanden: Calvé, pindakaas van;Calvinisme, Volkskrant, 30 October 2010
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76. ↑ Ik creëer toeval, NRC Handelsblad, 24 May 2014
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79. ↑ 'De Kaap is weer Hollands', NOS,
80. ↑ Beknopt Nederduitsch taalkundig woordenboek, Petrus Weiland, Blusse en van Braam, 1829, page 236
81. ↑ Zoveel of meer als / dan, Taalunie
82. ↑ Als / zoals, Taalunie
83. ↑ Afrikaans for All, Jan Nieuwoudt Tromp, Dent, 1952, page 41
84. ↑ A Grammar of Afrikaans, Bruce C. Donaldson, Walter de Gruyter, 1993, page 324
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88. ↑ Keniaan 'verruil Kings vir Amerikaanse voetbal', Netwerk 24, 26 July 2013
89. ↑ Soccer is leuk én lucratief, ontdekken ook de Amerikanen, NRC Handelsblad, 4 July 2014
90. ↑ Vóór / voor, Taalunie
91. ↑ Hy praat oor die weer, en meer, Netwerk24, 28 November 2014
92. ↑ Massahisterie volg nadat Victoria Beckham haar dogtertjie soen, Huisgenoot, 14 July 2016
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94. ↑ A Grammar of Afrikaans, Bruce C. Donaldson, Walter de Gruyter, 1993, page 207
95. ↑ Makro Blokraaisels Woordeboek, L.L. Pansegrouw, Pearson South Africa, 1998, page 166
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97. ↑ HAT: verklarende handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse taal, edited by F. F. Odendal, R. H. Gouws, Pearson South Africa, 2005, page 226
98. ↑ Middeleeuwse wijsbegeerte: traditie en vernieuwing, Uitgeverij Van Gorcum, 1977, page 198-199
99. ↑ Artikel ontketent polemiek over Afrikaans; Maagbom voorkaaskop, NRC Handelsblad, 27 March 1990
100. ↑ HAT: verklarende handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse taal, edited by F. F. Odendal, R. H. Gouws, Pearson South Africa, 2005, page 147
101. ↑ Flikker op met je punt op de horizon, NRC Handelsblad, 1 November 2016
102. 1 2 3 "Afrikaans history and development. The Unique Language of South Africa". Safariafrica.co.za. Retrieved 2015-04-02. 
103. ↑ "etymologiebank.nl". Etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved 2015-04-02. 
104. ↑ "Karos II : Kros". Gtb.inl.nl. Retrieved 2015-04-02. 
105. 1 2 Both sentences have different connotations.
106. ↑ "Woordenboek – Betekenis van middenstad". Woorden-boek.nl. Retrieved 2015-04-02. 
107. ↑ Dutch does have the word sambreel meaning "parasol".

External links

• Video of Die Stem van Suid-Afrika with Afrikaans and Dutch subtitles