Afrikaans Verbs
Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Afrikaans. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Afrikaans.
Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Afrikaans conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:
| Present Tense | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| I speak English | Ek praat Engels  |
| you speak French | Jy praat Frans |
| he speaks German | Hy praat Duits |
| she speaks Italian | Sy praat Italiaans |
| we speak Arabic | Ons praat Arabies |
| they speak Chinese | Hulle praat Chinees |
The past tense in Afrikaans conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:
| Past Tense | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| I visited France | Ek het Frankryk besoek |
| you visited Italy | Jy het Italiё besoek |
| he visited Morocco | Hy het Marokko besoek |
| she visited China | Sy het China besoek |
| we visited Mexico | Ons het Mexiko besoek |
| they visited Kenya | Hulle het Kenia besoek |
The future tense in Afrikaans conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:
| Future Tense | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| I will drink milk | Ek sal melk drink |
| you will drink coffee | Jy sal koffie drink |
| he will drink tea | Hy sal tee drink |
| she will drink water | Sy sal water drink |
| we will drink apple juice | Ons sal appelsap drink |
| they will drink tea | Hulle sal tee drink |
Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.
ear oor | eye oog | mouth mond | nose neus |
hair hare | face gesig | head kop | heart hart |
hand hand | fingers vingers | leg been | feet voete |
Travel Phrases in Afrikaans
Imagine yourself in some Afrikaans speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!
| English | Afrikaans |
|---|---|
| Can you help me? | Kan jy my help? |
| Can I help you? | Kan ek jou help? |
| Where is the airport? | Waar is die lughawe? |
| Go straight | Gaan reguit |
| Then | dan |
| Turn left | draai links |
| Turn right | draai regs |
I hope this lesson about the verbs in Afrikaans was not hard for you. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
| Afrikaans Audio |
Inspirational Quote: Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Goethe |