Afrikaans Proverbs

A collection of Afrikaans Proverbs to inspire you. Wise Afrikaans Sayings in the form of proverbs that have been passed down for generations.

May these Afrikaans Proverbs inspire you to never give up and keep working towards your goals. Who knows—success could be just around the corner.

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and, to a lesser extent, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It evolved from the Dutch vernacular of Holland (Hollandic dialect) spoken by the European (Dutch, French and German) settlers and their slaves in South Africa, where it gradually began to develop distinguishing characteristics in the course of the 18th century. It is considered to be a developed creole language. Afrikaans linguistics researchers maintain that Afrikaans, originally being a peasant language, is only partially creole.

Afrikaans Idioms and Proverbs

Afrikaans: Sommer
Literally: Simply
Meaning: Used as an interjection for doing something with no particular reason, just because

Afrikaans: Loskop
Literally: Loose head
Meaning: Used to explain forgetful or odd behaviour

Afrikaans: Hang aan ń tak
Literally: Hang onto a branch
Meaning: Hold on a sec(ond)

Afrikaans: Nes ń aap op ń stokkie
Literally: Like a monkey on a stick
Meaning: To look perplexed

Afrikaans: ń Aap in die mou hê
Literally: Have a monkey up your sleeve
Meaning: To hide mischievous plans

Afrikaans: Alle grappies op ń stokkie
Literally: All jokes on a stick
Meaning: All joking aside

Afrikaans: Alle grappies op ‘n stokkie
Literally: All jokes on a stick
Meaning: On a more serious note

Afrikaans: As die hemel val is ons almal dood
Literally: If heaven falls, we’re all dead
Meaning: To complain less; let’s not always think about what could go wrong

Afrikaans: Die berge het ‘n muis gebaar
Literally: The mountain gave birth to a mouse
Meaning: When you put in a lot of effort into a project but have very little to show for it

Afrikaans: Die bobbejaan agter die bult gaan uithaal
Literally: To fetch a baboon from behind the hill
Meaning: To think or talk about problems that haven’t happened yet, thus possibly making them happen.

Afrikaans: Dis ‘n feit soos ‘n koei
Literally: It’s a fact like a cow
Meaning: It is a fact you can’t argue with

Afrikaans: Hang aan ‘n tak
Literally: Hanging onto a branch
Meaning: Hold on for a second

Afrikaans: Hoe kaler die jakkals, hoe groter die stert
Literally: The more naked the jackal, the bigger its tail is
Meaning: Those who have the least to show for themselves, brag the most

Afrikaans: Hy het ‘n klap van die windmeul weg
Literally: He’s been hit by a windmill
Meaning: To not be sound of mind

Afrikaans: Hy skil sy aartappels nie twee keer nie
Literally: You don’t peel your potatoes twice
Meaning: Get it right the first time.

Afrikaans: Iemand ‘n gat in die kop praat
Literally: To talk a hole in someone’s head
Meaning: To find a way to persuade someone (to do something bad)

Afrikaans: Jy krap met ‘n kort stokkie aan ‘n groot leeu se bal
Literally: You scratch a big lion’s bollocks with a shot stick
Meaning: To be arrogant; to push one’s luck

Afrikaans: Katjie van die baan
Literally: A kitten from the track
Meaning: Used to describe someone with social skills, with humor. It can also be used when children stay up too late at night.

Afrikaans: ‘n Aap in die mou hê
Literally: To have a monkey up your sleeve
Meaning: To have something up your sleeve; to hide a mischievous plan

Afrikaans: ‘n Hond uit ‘n bos gesels
Literally: To talk a dog out of a bush
Meaning: To have a great conversation or to describe someone very chatty

Afrikaans: ‘n Gat in die dag slaap
Literally: To sleep a hole in the day
Meaning: To sleep very late

Afrikaans: Nes ‘n aap op ‘n stokkie
Literally: Like a monkey on a stick
Meaning: To look perplexed

Afrikaans: So ‘n bek moet jam kry
Literally: such a mouth should get jam
Meaning: Used when someone says something you agree with or when someone is witty and deserves a praise.

Afrikaans: So skaars soos ‘n tweedehandse doodskis
Literally: As scarce as a second hand coffin
Meaning: Something extremely rare

Afrikaans: Sy kerk is uit
Literally: His church is out
Meaning:It’s all over for him; he doesn’t stand another chance.

Afrikaans: Wors in die hondehok soek
Literally: To search for a sausage in a dog’s kennel
Meaning: To look for the needle in the haystack, to look for something you cannot find.

Afrikaans: ń Hond uit ń bos gesels
Literally: Talk a dog out of a bush
Meaning: To have a great conversation

Afrikaans: Moenie die hoender ruk nie
Literally: Don’t shake the chicken
Meaning: Don’t overdo it

Afrikaans: Jy krap met ń kort stokkie aan ń groot leeu se bal
Literally: Scratch a lion’s ball with a short stick
Meaning: Being arrogant or to push one’s luck

Afrikaans: Die berge het ń muis gebaar
Literally: The mountains gave birth to a mouse
Meaning: To put in a lot of effort and have nothing to show for it

Afrikaans: Jy kan hom met ń blaas ertjies die skrik op die lyf jag
Literally: Chase away fright with a bladder of peas
Meaning: A person who is scared or scares easily

Afrikaans: Die bobbejaan agter die bult te gaan haal
Literally: Fetch a baboon from behind the hill
Meaning: To think or talk about problems that haven’t happened yet and thus possibly making them happen.

Afrikaans: Wors in die hondestal soek
Literally: Searching sausage in a dog stable
Meaning: To look for a thing that you cannot really find

Afrikaans: ń Klap van die windmeul weg hê
Literally: A slap away from the windmill
Meaning: Crazy or unstable mind

Afrikaans: Die aap uit die mou laat
Literally: Let the monkey out of the sleeve
Meaning: Let the cat out of the bag, spill the beans

Afrikaans: Die koeël is deur die kerk
Literally: The bullet went through the church
Meaning: Used when someone is madly in love.

Afrikaans: Twee rye spore loop
Literally: To rows of tracks
Meaning: To be drunk or truly intoxicated

Afrikaans: Dit weet die aap se stert
Literally: The monkey tail knows
Meaning: Something that everyone knows

Afrikaans: Nou nou
Literally: Now now
Meaning: To say something will take in just a while

Afrikaans: Iemand ń gat in die kop praat
Literally: Talk a hole in the head of someone
Meaning: Persuade someone

Afrikaans: Lepel in die dak steek
Literally: Stick a spoon on the roof
Meaning: a sign of someone dying

Afrikaans: Die geel baadjie aan hê
Literally: Wearing a yellow jacket
Meaning: To say that one is jealous

Afrikaans: Die poppe gaan dans
Literally: The dolls will dance
Meaning: There’s trouble in the world/something bad will happen

Afrikaans: Die verkeerde perd opsaal
Literally: Saddling the wrong horse
Corresponding Idiom: Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Looking in the wrong place for something/Using the wrong way to get something, or get something right

Afrikaans: Te veel hooi op die vurk laai
Literally: To put too much hay on the hay fork/pitchfork
Corresponding Idiom: Too much hay on your pitchfork
Meaning: Undertaking more than you can handle

Afrikaans: So ń bek moet jem kry
Literally: That mouth should get jam
Meaning: Used when someone says something which rings true or is very witty and sharp.

Afrikaans: Dis ń feit soos n koei
Literally: A fact like a cow
Meaning: An concept you cannot disagree with

Afrikaans: ‘n Eiertjie lê.
Literally: To lay an egg
Corresponding Idiom: Give someone your two cents worth
Meaning: To give someone your opinion

Afrikaans: Jong osse inspan
Literally: To harness young oxen
Meaning: Vomiting

Afrikaans: Katte skiet
Literally: Shooting cats
Meaning: Vomiting

Afrikaans: Ou koeie uit die sloot uitgrawe
Literally: Digging old cows out of the ditch
Corresponding Idiom: Digging up bones
Meaning: Reviving an old quarrel

Afrikaans: Met die hele mandtjie patats voorendag kom
Literally: Coming to the front with the whole basket of sweetpotatos
Meaning: Giving all the details about something (normally in a bad sense). E.g. A situation or happening

Afrikaans: Deur die wingerd loop met die wingerdgriep
Literally: Walking through the vineyard with the vineyard fever
Meaning: Being tipsy or drunk

Afrikaans: Wrange frugte pluk
Literally: Picking rotten fruit
Corresponding Idiom: The chickens come home to roost
Meaning: Getting the bad consequences of your actions

Afrikaans: Dis die klein jakkalsies wat die wingerde verniel
Literally: The little foxes ruined the vineyards
Meaning: Small mistakes causing too many troubles

Afrikaans: Die doodskleed het geen sakke nie
Literally: The robe of the dead has no pockets
Meaning: Your possessions mean nothing once you are dead

Afrikaans: Op eiers loop
Literally: To walk on eggs
Corresponding Idiom: Being on needles and pins
Meaning: To act very carefully

Afrikaans: Die room afskep
Literally: Scooping off the cream
Meaning: To get the best out of a situation

Afrikaans: Balke saag
Literally: Sawing beams
Corresponding Idiom: Sawing timber
Meaning: To snore

Afrikaans: Twak verkoop
Literally: Selling nonsense/rubbish
Meaning: Talking nonsense
(Twak means ‘Nonsense’ or ‘Rubbish’ (Literally and figuratively). Be careful with using it. It may be offensive or seen as strong, of not foul, language.)

Afrikaans: Appels swaai
Literally: Swinging apples
Meaning: Fighting with fists
Appels sw means to fight wiaaith the fists. The apples can be seen as fists being swung around!

Afrikaans: Wys waar Dawid die wortels begrawe het
Literally: Showing [someone] where David buried the roots
Corresponding Idiom: Showing the ropes
Meaning: To reprimand or to teach someone a lesson

Afrikaans: Pêrels voor die swyne werp/gooi
Literally: Throwing pearls before the swine
Corresponding Idiom: Throwing pearls before the swine
Meaning: To give wisdom or knowledge to someone who won’t appreciate it

Afrikaans: Met ‘n ander man se kalwers ploeg
Literally: Plowing with another man’s oxen
Corresponding Idiom: Plowing with someone else’s oxen
Meaning: To use someone else’s e.g. idea (Sort of like breaking copyright!)

Afrikaans: Die bul by die horings pak
Literally: Taking the bull by the horns
Corresponding Idiom: To take the bull by the horns
Meaning: To take up a large task

Afrikaans: Om ‘n wolf skaapwagter te maak
Literally: Making a wolf the shepherd
Meaning: To give an untrustworthy person the responsibility

Afrikaans: Skape tel
Literally: To count sheep
Corresponding Idiom: Counting sheep
Meaning: To try to go to sleep by imagining lots of white sheep jumping over a fence and counting them

Afrikaans: Die dam onder die eend uitruk
Literally: Yanking the dam from under the duck
Meaning: To go overboard with something

Afrikaans: ‘n Perd van ‘n ander kleur
Literally: A horse of a different color
Corresponding Idiom: A different kettle of fish
Meaning: A person that is different from others

Afrikaans: So skaars soos hoender tande
Literally: As rare as chicken teeth
Meaning: Very rare!

Afrikaans: (Kan/Sal/Gaan) nie hond haar-af maak nie
Literally: (Can/Shall/Will) not take a dog’s hair off
Meaning: (Can/Shall/Will etc.) not get something right

Afrikaans: ‘n Appel en ‘n ei
Literally: An apple and an egg
Corresponding Idiom: Dirt cheap
Meaning: Very cheap
An Ei is the old-fashioned word for Eier (Egg) in Afrikaans.

Afrikaans: Jakkal trou met wolf se vrou
Literally: Jackal marries wolf’s wife
Meaning: The sun is shining whille it’s raining (Literally!)

Afrikaans: Nat agter die ore
Literally: Wet behind the ears
Meaning: To be inexperienced

Afrikaans: So ‘n bek moet jem kry
Literally: Such a mouth should get jam
Meaning: The only translation we can think of for this one is “give that man a bells!”. This saying is used when someone ‘says’ something which simply rings true or is very witty and sharp.

Afrikaans: ʼn Koei kan moontlik ʼn haas vang
Literally: A cow can possibly catch a rabbit
Meaning: This is the Afrikaans equivalent of “pigs might fly”. We really think it just sounds better in Afrikaans.

Afrikaans: ʼn Man van twaalf ambagte en dertien ongelukke
Literally: a Man of twelve trades and thirteen accidents
Meaning: The English version of this proverb is “Jack of all trades, master of none”, but bringing accidents into the mix gives this saying a necessary Afrikaans punch.

Afrikaans: Ook ʼn stuiwer in die armbus/armbeurs gooi
Literally: Also throw a half penny into the charity bus
Meaning: In English, one would say “give your two cents” or “put an oar in”, for those who also want their opinions on a subject heard. But it simply doesn’t have the same ring to it in English.

Afrikaans: Jy kan hom met ʼn blaas ertjies die skrik op die lyf jag
Literally: You can chase the fright on his body with a bladder of peas
Meaning: In English, you would say that a person frights easily or is scared. How boring. We prefer sayings that involve chasing fright and bladders filled with peas.

Afrikaans: Alte goed is buurmansgek
Literally: Much too good is neighbours’ craze
Meaning: This idiom can be translated to English as “those who do too much good are often taken advantage of”.

Afrikaans: Iemand heuning om die mond smeer
Literally: Rub honey around someone’s mouth
Meaning: There really isn’t a better way to say that you are wooing or buttering someone up than saying it in Afrikaans.

Afrikaans: Jakkals trou met wolf se vrou
Literally: Fox is marrying wolf’s wife
Meaning: In English you may refer to sun showers, or rain that falls while the sun is shining. There really is no translation in English that comes close to describing this South African phenomenon.

Afrikaans: Vinkel en koljander, die een is soos die ander
Literally: Fennel and coriander, the one is like the other
Meaning: The English idiom states that it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other – which means that two people or things are exactly the same. But the English doesn’t hold the poetic undertones of Afrikaans; they are not like vinkel and koljander.

Proverbs From Wikiquote

• Een swaeltjie maak nog geen somer nie.
  • English equivalent: One swallow does not make a summer.
  • “The appearance of a single sign of a favourable event is not yet a definite indication of its coming.”
  • Paczolay, Gyula (1997). European Proverbs in 55 languages. DeProverbio.com. p. 49. ISBN 1-875943-44-7.

• Die middel kan wel erger as die kwaad wees.
  • English equivalent: The remedy is often worse than the disease; Burn not your house to rid it of the mouse.
  • “Action taken to put something right is often more unpleasant or damaging than the original problem.”
  • Martin H. Manser (2007). The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs. Infobase Publishing. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-8160-6673-5.
  • Kritzinger, F. Benjamin (1991). English proverbs and expressions with Afrikaans equivalents (Reimpresa ed.). J.L. van Schaik. p. 109. ISBN 0627017312.

• Jakkals prys sy eie stert.
  • Meaning: The vain will always boast about themselves.
  • N. G. Sabbagha; Matthys Stefanus Benjamin Kritzinger (1991). English proverbs and expressions with Afrikaans equivalents.

• Die appel val nie ver van die boom nie.
  • The apple does not fall far from the tree.
  • Meaning: The child often looks and acts like the parent.
  • Marthinus Christoffel Botha; Johannes François Burger (1940). Maskew Miller’s practical Afrikaans for English-speaking students.

• Van die os op die jas.
  • Meaning: To change the subject suddenly to something totally different.
  • N. G. Sabbagha; Matthys Stefanus Benjamin Kritzinger (1991). English proverbs and expressions with Afrikaans equivalents.

• Daar waar die tekkie die teer tref.
  • Meaning: At the point of contact or where it really matters.
  • Gerhardt Smook (2010). Geesgedrewe Heersers.

• Tussen die boom en die bas.
  • Meaning: Referring to how one is doing, not really great but not to bad either.
  • Anton F. Prinsloo (2009). Spreekwoorde en waar hulle vandaan kom.

• Skoenmaker se kinders loop kaalvoet.
  • English equivalent: Cobblers’ children are worst shod.
  • “Working hard for others one may neglect one’s own needs or the needs of those closest to him.”
  • Paczolay, Gyula (1997). “7”. European proverbs: in 55 languages, with equivalents in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. Veszprémi Nyomda. p. 65. ISBN 1-875943-44-7.

• Tussen twee vure.
  • English equivalent: Never do things by halves.
  • Botha, Marthinus Christoffel; Burger, Johannes François (1940). Maskew Miller’s practical Afrikaans for English-speaking students. M. Miller. p. 177.