Study resources

Afrikaans 4

Unofficial Afrikaans Course - (11) Idioms Used in Afrikaans2

Hello everyone,

This is an Unofficial Afrikaans Course.

Introduction

Afrikaans is spoken in South Africa (SA), Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia. Afrikaans (also known as the Cape Dutch) is spoken by approximately 6.9 million people as a first language and 10.3 million people as a second language in South Africa.

This course was started by me because I saw how many people want to learn this language. Since Duolingo does not have an Afrikaans Course yet, I thought this might be a useful step.

I will talk about and explain some idioms used in Afrikaans. They can get very funny!

Don't worry! Some of these idioms are also used in English and mean the same thing!

Idioms

I will give the Afrikaans, then the literal translation and corresponding English idiom, and then the meaning of the idiom.

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/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: '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
Corresponding Idiom: Unknown
Meaning: Vomiting

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