The Afrikaans language

Afrikaans is one of the eleven official languages of South Africa. It was the language of the Boers. They settled in Africa during colonial times. Its origins can be traced to 17th century Dutch. Therefore, it belongs to the West Germanic language family. The language has naturally changed over time. The grammar of Afrikaans is simpler than that of Dutch today. It also contains many elements that were borrowed from English. This is because the British also had colonies in the region. Afrikaans is not only understood in South Africa, though. It is also spoken in Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. It is estimated that in total more than 20 million people understand Afrikaans. It is the native language of 7 million people in South Africa alone. Even more people speak Afrikaans as their second or third language. A person can get around easily in many regions of Africa with Afrikaans. Therefore it is worth it to learn this relatively simple language!

Learn Afrikaans from your native language with our method “book2” (books in 2 languages)

“Afrikaans for beginners” is a language course that we offer free of charge. Advanced students can also refresh and deepen their knowledge. No registration is required and you can learn anonymously. The course includes 100 clearly structured lessons. You can set your learning pace.First you will learn the basics of the language. Example dialogs help you speak the foreign language. No previous knowledge of Afrikaans grammar is required. You will learn commonly used Afrikaans sentences and can communicate immediately in various situations. Learn Afrikaans during your commute, lunch break or workout. You can start immediately and will quickly achieve your learning goals.

Learn Afrikaans with the Android and iPhone app «50 languages»

With these apps you can learn more than 50 languages on Android phones and tablets and iPhones and iPads. The apps include 100 free lessons to help you learn and communicate effectively in Afrikaans. Practice your language skills using the tests and games in the apps. Use our free «book2» audio files to listen to native speakers of Afrikaans and improve your pronunciation! You can easily download all audios in your native language and Afrikaans as MP3 files. After downloading you can also learn offline.

Text book - Afrikaans for beginners

If you prefer to learn Afrikaans using printed materials, you can buy the book Afrikaans for beginners. You can buy it in any bookstore or online at Amazon.

Learn Afrikaans - fast and free now!