Looking for practical Mam to Afrikaans phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Mam phrase first, then the Afrikaans translation (Afrikaans) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.
The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Afrikaans.
Tip: focus on one section per day (travel Monday, dining Tuesday, and so on) if you are preparing for a Afrikaans-speaking trip in a few weeks.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Mam to Afrikaans translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.
Greetings and pleasantries
Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.
Xo'j
Hallo(sho'j)
Tz'ik
Dankie(tz'ik)
Xo'j nax
Goeie more(sho'j nax)
Xo'j q'ij
Goeie middag(sho'j q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Goeie naand(sho'j k'ux)
Xo'j k'ux nax
Goeie nag(sho'j k'ux nax)
K'ux q'ij
Sien jou later(k'ux q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Totsiens(sho'j k'ux)
Ja' k'ux nax?
Wat is jou naam?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Ja' k'ux nax John
My naam is John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Jach' k'ux?
Hoe gaan dit?(hach' k'ux?)
Nab' k'ux
Lekker om jou te ontmoet(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Praat jy Engels?
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Ek praat nie goed Hindi nie.
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Ek verstaan nie.
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Praat asseblief stadig.
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Kan jy dit weer sê?
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Waar is die badkamer?
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Hoe kom ek by die stadsentrum?
K'utun k'ux.
Draai links.
K'utun k'ux.
Draai regs.
K'utun k'ux.
Gaan reguit.
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Hoeveel is die tarief?
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Een kaartjie, asseblief.
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Is dit ver van hier?
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Ek is verlore.
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Waar kan ek 'n SIM-kaart koop?
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Juj
Ja(hoo)
Man
Nee(mah)
K'ux
Miskien(k'ush)
Juj k'ux
Ek stem saam(hoo k'ush)
Man k'ux
Ek stem nie saam nie(mah k'ush)
K'ux juj
Dit klink goed(k'ush hoo)
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?
Wat dink jy?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?
Kan jy my help?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut
Ek het hulp nodig(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux k'ut
Wag 'n oomblik(k'ush k'ut)
Juj k'ux k'ut
Ek is jammer(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Man k'ux k'ut
Geen probleem(mah k'ush k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut
Geluk(k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Gelukkige verjaarsdag(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Veilige reis(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?
Waar is die treinstasie?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
Waar is die busstop?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
Watter platform is dit?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
Watter tyd vertrek dit?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
Is dit die regte pad?
Ri k'ut pa ri.
Dit is naby hier.
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
Dit is ver van hier.
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
Kan jy dit op die kaart wys?
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
Stop hier, asseblief.
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
Hoe lank neem dit?
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
K'ux k'ulub' ri'?
Hoeveel kos dit?(K'ux k'ulub' ri'?)
K'ux ri' k'ulub'?
Dit is te duur.(K'ux ri' k'ulub'?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Het julle iets goedkoper?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Kan ek met 'n kaart betaal?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Ek wil 'n tafel vir twee hê.(In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?)
Ri' k'ulub', por favor
Die rekening, asseblief.(Ri' k'ulub', por favor)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Is diens ingesluit?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Ek is 'n vegetariër.(In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Geen pittige kos, asseblief.(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Dit is heerlik.(K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Kan ek die spyskaart kry?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
‘n Glas water, asseblief.(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
K'uxik la policía
Bel die polisie
K'uxik un ambulancia
Bel 'n ambulans
Nek' a doctor
Ek het 'n dokter nodig
K'utun k'ax
Ek voel siek
Nek' a k'uxi' ch'ich'
Ek is allergies vir grondboontjies
Jach' k'uxik la hospital?
Waar is die naaste hospitaal?
K'utun k'uxi' aquí
Dit seergemaak hier
Nek' a k'uxik mi pasaporte
Ek het my paspoort verloor
¿K'uxik a k'uxik mi hotel?
Kan jy my hotel bel?
¡Ayuda!
Help!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Chik'oj ch'ab'ej
Lekker om jou te ontmoet(chee-k'oh chahb'eh)
K'axik ch'awik ri k'ulb'al
Kom ons skeduleer 'n vergadering(kah-hee k'ah-wik ree kool-bahl)
K'ut ri k'utal k'axik?
Watter tyd werk vir jou?(k'oot ree k'oo-tahl kah-hee)
In k'axik ri k'ik'oj ch'ich'
Ek sal die verslag vandag stuur(een kah-hee ree kee-k'oh ch'eech')
K'axik ch'awik ri k'ik'oj k'ay?
Kan ons môre praat?(kah-hee ch'ah-wik ree kee-k'oh kahy)
Ch'awik ri k'ulb'al k'axik
Asseblief vind die lêer aangeheg(ch'ah-wik ree kool-bahl kah-hee)
Tz'ib'ej ri k'utal
Dankie vir jou tyd(tzee-beh-eh ree k'oo-tahl)
In k'axik ri k'ulb'al k'axik
Ek sien uit daarna om saam met jou te werk(een kah-hee ree kool-bahl kah-hee)
K'axik ch'awik ri k'utal?
Kan jy daardie punt verduidelik?(kah-hee ch'ah-wik ree k'oo-tahl)
K'axik in k'axik ch'awik
Laat ek jou terugbel(kah-hee een kah-hee ch'ah-wik)
Ri k'utal k'axik k'ay
Die sperdatum is Vrydag(ree k'oo-tahl kah-hee kahy)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.