South Africa is a beautiful country with many tourist attractions and relaxation places. Whether you are looking to enjoy the forests or the bustling city life, we bet that there’s something in South Africa just for you! However, the language barrier is one of the most critical points to consider. Simple as it may be, this can limit your ability to appreciate and enjoy the people’s culture. Our advice? Learn the basics, like how to introduce yourself in Afrikaans.
Imagine a stranger walking up to you with a big smile, and he touches his chest as he says more Afrikaans words you are not familiar with; it will be an awkward situation. To avoid this type of scenario, you have to know the basic phrases and words that will be of help during your stay in South Africa.
To help you prepare better, we will look at how to introduce yourself in Afrikaans and other basic Afrikaans phrases that will aid your self-introduction. To help you learn these words sequentially, we will follow the ideal steps of introductions. So, without further ado, let’s get you started on learning some introductory Afrikaans words. Ready? Let’s go!
5 Steps To Introduce Yourself In Afrikaans
Step 1: Start With Greetings
Will it not be weird if someone comes to you while you enjoy a hot cup of chocolate and introduces themselves without even saying hi? When you want to introduce yourself in South Africa, the best thing to do is to greet. That will open up the conversation and give room for any introduction. So, let’s look at some greetings you can start with below.
| English | Afrikaans | Pronunciation |
| Good day | Goeie dag | |
| Good morning | Goeie more | |
| Good Afternoon | Goeie middag | |
| Good Evening | Goeienaand | |
| Good day everyone | Goeie dag almal |
The best greeting word to use in both formal and informal situations is Goeie dag. This is independent of the time of the day and is generally acceptable. If there is more than one person, it is polite to greet everyone. Therefore, you should go with Goeie dag almal.
Step 2: Introduce Yourself By Saying Your Name
Once you’ve gotten a positive response to your greeting, then you tell them your name or wait for the ‘What is your name?’ question. In Afrikaans, wat is jou naam means what is your name? And you will often hear this question if you are new to a place. Here are some great ways to introduce your name.
For formal situations, the best thing to say is My naam is which means ‘my name is.’ It is only in informal situations you can use Ek is which means ‘I am…’
Example: Goeie dag. My naam is Michael
Translation: Good day. My name is Michael.
Step 3: Nationality / Residential Information
Now, telling them your nationality is fully optional, and you can decide to share this information only when someone asks you. You will hear questions like ‘Waar kom jy vandaan? (Where are you from?) or Van watter land is jy? (which country are you from?), if they want you to tell them your nationality. Here is a way to say so…
| English | Afrikaans | Pronunciation |
| Where are you from? | Waar kom jy vandaan? | |
| Where do you live? | Waar woon jy? | |
| I am from… | Ek is van… | |
| I live in America | Ek bly in Amerika | |
| I am American | Ek is Amerikaans |
Step 4: Age And Hobbies
In South Africa, many people don’t care about one’s age because they believe it is a piece of personal information. So, you don’t have to worry about sharing your age except when it is 100% necessary.
Step 5: Ask About The Other Person’s Information
When someone asks you to introduce yourself in an informal gathering or, let’s say, you are meeting with the person for the first time, and it is only polite to also ask for their names. Here is how to do so.
| English | Afrikaans | Pronunciation |
| Tell me about yourself | Vertel my van jouself | |
| Please introduce yourself too | Stel jouself ook asseblief voor | |
| What about you? | Wat van jou? |
You Can Now Introduce Yourself In Afrikaans
You’ve learned how to introduce yourself in the Afrikaans language, so you are set to go. Remember, always try to start with a polite greeting. Also, when introducing yourself, you can stick with your first name. Another useful tip is to greet elders before greeting the younger ones, as it shows respect and politeness in their culture.
If you are looking for an effective way to learn Afrikaans, you are in luck! You don’t have to worry about sketchy materials or a constant migraine trying to sort out the right Afrikaans tutorials, the Ling App has all that sorted.
Learn Afrikaans With Ling
Ling App is a language learning platform with comprehensive teaching features and resources to help you become an Afrikaans fluent speaker. It comes loaded with grammar lessons, exercises, speaking practices, listening, and reading practices. You even get a daily reminder to help you stay on track. The best part? You can start learning right away! It is that simple! All you need to do is to install the Ling App and sign up for a FREE account to try it out immediately!
So, what are you waiting for?! Download the Ling App today on Play Store or App Store!
