The easiest way to learn Afrikaans is to read and listen to short, easy Afrikaans about things you already like, checking the translation when you need it. Leave grammar tables and long word lists for later, because easy Afrikaans keeps showing you the most common words and patterns. Below are the first steps in order, and some easy Afrikaans to start with.
Is Afrikaans Easy to Learn?
Afrikaans is easy to start for English speakers, though a few sounds and the second nie at the end of some sentences take time. Afrikaans is not on the U.S. Foreign Service Institute's list. FSI puts Dutch, which Stellenbosch University calls a sister language of Afrikaans, in its first group, the languages it calls more similar to English. Our guide to the fastest way shows how long it takes.
Three things make the start easier than it looks.
- An Alphabet You Already KnowAfrikaans uses the same letters as English, so you can sound out your first words right away.
- Words You Already KnowMany Afrikaans words look like English ones, such as koffie (coffee) and appel (apple).
- Verbs With One FormA verb stays the same for every person, as in ek werk (I work) and hulle werk (they work).
What Is the Easiest Way to Start?
The easiest way to start is with greetings and other short Afrikaans you enjoy, one small step at a time.
- Start With GreetingsBegin with lines you can use right away, like Goeiemôre (good morning) and Dankie (thank you).
- Read About What You LoveRead short dialogues about food, music, or anything else you already enjoy.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Hide the TranslationKeep the English hidden, and check it only when a line stops you.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep from each lesson.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a question you want to ask a friend.
Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening to Afrikaans at your level, with lessons that Poppy, its AI tutor, writes about the things you like. Words you save come back inside new lessons through Regenerative Review™, so reviewing them means reading more Afrikaans.
What Makes Afrikaans Feel Hard, and How Can You Make It Easier?
Four parts of Afrikaans feel hard at first, and each one gets easier when you meet it again and again in easy Afrikaans.
| What feels hard | The easy fix |
|---|---|
| The g sound | The g in dag (day) and groot (big) is made in the back of the throat. Easy lessons with audio let you hear it in many words before you try it yourself. |
| The second nie | A sentence that says no often ends with a second nie, as in Ek eet nie vleis nie (I don't eat meat). Easy dialogues use it so often that it soon sounds normal. |
| The verb at the end of the sentence | Short lines like Ek wil Afrikaans leer (I want to learn Afrikaans) put the second verb last, and after many of them the order starts to feel normal. |
| Fast speech on the radio | Listen to slow, clear audio made for learners first. Words you already know are much easier to catch in fast speech. |
What Is Easy Afrikaans to Start With?
Easy Afrikaans to start with is short and slow, and it is about something you enjoy. Afrikaans you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input.
| What | Why it's easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ET Afrikaans | Its listening practice videos are made for total beginners. | youtube.com/@ETAfrikaans |
| Lees-en-luister | A free app from VivA, the Virtual Institute for Afrikaans, reads stories aloud while the text lights up, starting with first words. | viva-afrikaans.org |
| South Africa Reads | Picture books come with Afrikaans audio, and you can see each line in English too. | southafricareads.org |
| African Storybook | Free picture books come in five reading levels, so you can move up one level at a time once you know some words. | africanstorybook.org |
If a new word shows up in almost every line, switch to something easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Afrikaans pronunciation hard?
Most of it is easy to learn, because Afrikaans spells most words the way they sound. Once you know that oe sounds like the oo in food and ie sounds like the ee in see, you can read boek (book) and wie (who) out loud. The rolled r in words like rooi (red) takes more practice, and a tutor can help you with it.
Can I learn Afrikaans just by watching Afrikaans series?
Not at the start, because most of an episode goes by too fast for a beginner to learn from. Series help more once you can follow a simple conversation, especially with Afrikaans subtitles on. Language Reactor lists a few Netflix titles with Afrikaans subtitles, such as Tuiskoms and Semi-Soeter, and shows a translation beside each line.
Which Afrikaans app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Afrikaans, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses, tutors and speaking practice, see our comparison of Afrikaans apps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Language Training (FSI language categories)
- Stellenbosch University Language Centre: Afrikaans language and culture for Dutch-speaking exchange students (Afrikaans as a sister language of Dutch)
- Wikipedia, Afrikaans phonology (the g and the r)
- ET Afrikaans (YouTube channel with listening practice for total beginners)
- VivA, Lees-en-luister (free stories read aloud, from first words up)
- South Africa Reads, stories with Afrikaans text and audio (Global Storybooks)
- African Storybook, open picture storybooks in the languages of Africa
- Language Reactor, Netflix titles with Afrikaans subtitles
