Afrikaans Gender
Welcome to the fifth Afrikaans lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Afrikaans to help you practice your daily phrases.
man  man | woman vrou | husband man | wife vrou |
boy seun | girl meisie | father pa/vader | mother ma/moeder |
Gender Grammar Rules
In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.
| Grammar + Rules | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| my son is a student [masculine + noun] | My seun is 'n student |
| her daughter is a student [feminine + noun] | Haar dogter is 'n student |
| he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine] | Hy het 'n lang broer |
| she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine] | Sy het 'n lang suster |
| his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective] | Sy broers is jonk |
| his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective] | Sy susters is jonk |
The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.
son seun | daughter dogter | brother broer | sister suster | grandfather oupa | grandmother ouma | child kind | children kinders |
Expressions in Afrikaans
Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Afrikaans, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.
| English | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| What do you mean? | Wat bedoel jy? |
| I don't understand | Ek verstaan nie! |
| I don't know | Ek weet nie! |
| What is that called in Afrikaans? | Wat noem jy dit in Afrikaans? |
| What is this? | Wat is dit? |
| What does that word mean in English? | Wat beteken daardie woord in Engels? |
| Sorry (if you made a mistake) | Jammer |
I hope you enjoyed this lesson about the gender in Afrikaans. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
| Afrikaans Numbers |
Inspirational Quote: High achievement always takes place in a framework of high expectation. Jack Kinder |