How hard is Afrikaans to learn?

Afrikaans is actually quite simple to learn, and many language learners consider it one of the easiest languages to master. Most Germanic languages have two or even three genders, but Afrikaans, like English, uses a singular gender. The verb conjugations were removed, simplifying the language even further.

How long will it take to learn Afrikaans?

about 575 hours
Germanic languages

Is Afrikaans the easiest language for English speakers?

Afrikaans is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn because–like many of the languages on this list–it's part of the Germanic language family. It's spoken in South Africa, Namibia, and a few other countries.

Why is Afrikaans so difficult?

Afrikaans is spoken with several different accents in South Africa. Therefore, what sounds correct to one group of speakers, is foreign to another. The way Afrikaans words are pronounced depends largely upon the situation (literally and figuratively) you find yourself in.

How long would it take an English speaker to learn Afrikaans?

Afrikaans is considered one of the easiest languages to master for English speakers. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) classifies Afrikaans as a Category 1 language, meaning you'll need around 23-24 weeks (575-600 hours) to reach proficiency.

Is Afrikaans hard for English speakers?

You'll Have an Easy Time Learning

Afrikaans is actually quite simple to learn, and many language learners consider it one of the easiest languages to master. Most Germanic languages have two or even three genders, but Afrikaans, like English, uses a singular gender.

Is duolingo good for Afrikaans?

Can You Learn Afrikaans on Duolingo? We are sorry to break it to you, but there's no Afrikaans course available on Duolingo at the moment. We are not sure when or if it will be available, so here we present you with some excellent alternatives of apps with bite-sized, engaging Afrikaans lessons.

What language is closest to Afrikaans?

Dutch

Unsurprisingly, Afrikaans was found to be most closely related to Dutch. When Afrikaans was compared to 361 Dutch and Frisian dialects, the South-Hollandic varieties were found to be closest to Afrikaans.

What language is almost like Afrikaans?

Although Afrikaans is very similar to Dutch, it is clearly a separate language, differing from Standard Dutch in its sound system and its loss of case and gender distinctions. Afrikaans was adopted for use in schools in 1914 and in the Dutch Reformed Church in 1919.

What are the 3 hardest languages?

Generally, if you're an English speaker with no exposure to other languages, here are some of the most challenging and difficult languages to learn: Mandarin Chinese. Arabic. Vietnamese.

Do Black speak Afrikaans?

Most black South Africans do not speak Afrikaans, although many learn it at school. For older generations, the language still symbolises the brutality of apartheid regime and a time they would rather forget.

How useful is Afrikaans?

The majority of the country's population can speak Afrikaans as a second or third language, or they are at least able to communicate well enough in it to get what they need. If you plan to work or travel in rural areas, you'll find English almost useless.

What is the fastest way to learn Afrikaans?

Way number one take audio and video lessons listening to audio. And watching video lessons is an easy way to consume. Language most of our lessons are five minutes on average.

What ethnicity speaks Afrikaans?

It is the majority language of the western half of South Africa—the provinces of the Northern Cape and Western Cape—and the first language of 75.8% of Coloured South Africans (4.8 million people), 60.8% of White South Africans (2.7 million people), 1.5% of Black South Africans (600,000 people), and 4.6% of Indian South …

What country speaks Afrikaans the most?

South Africa

Afrikaans speaking countries

As a percentage of the total population, the largest share of around 14 percent is in South Africa.

What is the world’s easiest language?

15 of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers – ranked

• Frisian. Frisian is thought to be one of the languages most closely related to English, and therefore also the easiest for English-speakers to pick up. …
• Dutch. …
• Norwegian. …
• Spanish. …
• Portuguese. …
• Italian. …
• French. …
• Swedish.

What is the #1 hardest language to learn?

Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin Chinese

Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

Is the Afrikaans accent attractive?

The accent voted most attractive in the world is Irish. In several surveys the South African Afrikaans accent has also been voted one of the sexiest accents on the planet.

Is Afrikaans useful to learn?

Although the majority of native speakers reside in South Africa, you'll run into others in many major cities around the world. London has a large population of people who speak Afrikaans, so business people who regularly make trips to both Europe and South Africa will benefit from learning the language.

Is Afrikaans on duolingo?

Can You Learn Afrikaans on Duolingo? We are sorry to break it to you, but there's no Afrikaans course available on Duolingo at the moment.

What percent of South Africa is white?

Black Africans comprise about seventy-five percent of the population and are divided into a number of different ethnic groups including those from Angola and Mozambique who are descendants of refugees who have settled South Africa. Whites comprise about thirteen percent of the population.

How many people speak Afrikaans in USA?

28,406
Statistics

What is the 2 hardest language to speak?

2. Arabic. Arabic is the queen of poetic languages, the 6th official language of the UN and second on our list of toughest languages to learn.

What is the 2 hardest language to learn?

The Hardest Languages To Learn For English Speakers

1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. …
2. Arabic. …
3. Polish. …
4. Russian. …
5. Turkish. …
6. Danish.

What is Afrikaans most similar to?

If you aren't South African, you might be wondering what Afrikaans ↗️ is. In short, it is one of South Africa's 11 official languages, is also widely spoken in Namibia, and it originates from Dutch. Because of this it is quite similar to Dutch, and somewhat similar to Swedish due to the Germanic origins.

What is easier Dutch or Afrikaans?

You might have heard that Afrikaans is related to Dutch. It is, but they're by no means identical twins! Afrikaans is its own language – and a lot easier to pick up than Dutch.