Female Forms: -es, -in, -ster

Level 3

Add -es, -in or -ster to name a woman: onderwyser → onderwyseres, vriend → vriendin, skrywer → skryfster.

How It Works

1. -es. Many nouns in -er, and some others, add -es: onderwyser → onderwyseres (teacher), sanger → sangeres (singer), danser → danseres (dancer), eienaar → eienares (owner), prins → prinses (princess).

2. -in. Some nouns add -in: vriend → vriendin (friend), koning → koningin (king → queen), held → heldin (hero → heroine). Vriendin can mean a female friend or a girlfriend.

3. -ster. Some nouns that come from a verb put -ster on the verb stem: skryf (write) → skrywer / skryfster (writer), verpleeg (nurse) → verpleër / verpleegster. The ending goes on the verb, not on the -er noun: skryfster, not skrywerster.

4. Plurals. The endings -es and -in are stressed, so their last consonant doubles before -e: onderwyseresse, vriendinne, koninginne (see plural spelling changes). Nouns in -ster take -s: skryfsters.

5. The plain form for everyone. These endings are optional for many jobs. Sy is 'n goeie onderwyser is normal, and words such as dokter and ingenieur have no everyday female form at all. Use the female form when you want to show that the person is a woman. Afrikaans nouns have no grammatical gender, so articles and adjectives never change.

Examples (6)

  1. Ons onderwyseres is baie geduldig.

    Our (female) teacher is very patient.

    Word by Word: Our teacher-woman is very patient.

  2. Sy is 'n bekende sangeres.

    She is a well-known singer.

    Word by Word: She is a well-known singer-woman.

  3. My beste vriendin woon in Kaapstad.

    My best (female) friend lives in Cape Town.

    Word by Word: My best friend-woman lives in Cape Town.

  4. Die koningin het die stad besoek.

    The queen visited the city.

    Word by Word: The queen has the city visited.

  5. Haar ma is 'n skryfster.

    Her mother is a writer.

    Word by Word: Her mom is a writer-woman.

  6. Sy is 'n goeie onderwyser.

    She is a good teacher.

    Word by Word: She is a good teacher.

    For many jobs, such as onderwyser, the plain form is normal for a woman too, so the female form is optional here.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ster to the -er noun instead of the verb stem.

    Sy is 'n skrywerster.
    Sy is 'n skryfster.

    The -ster ending goes on the verb stem skryf, so the female form is skryfster.

  • Forgetting to double the consonant in the plural of -in and -es.

    Ek het twee vriendine.
    Ek het twee vriendinne.

    The ending -in is stressed, so its n doubles before the plural -e: vriendinne, like onderwyseresse.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Female Forms: -es, -in, -sterLevel 3

Learn This First

Female forms add an ending to a noun, even though Afrikaans has no grammatical gender.