*This article may contain affiliate links. For full information, please see the disclaimer here.
Afrikaans or “Cape Dutch” is a West Germanic language derived from 17th-18th century Dutch in South Africa. Recognized as a creole language, it is heavily influenced by the Dutch colony, which was formerly located at the Cape of Good Hope.
While it has many similarities to its parent language, Dutch, it maintains a certain distinction through the deep history, culture, and social movements associated with it.
If you want to know more about the Afrikaans language, try these awesome Afrikaans learning apps.
Top picks
Before jumping into the list, here are some of our top picks:
- Use Mondly or Ling App for fun, interactive, and bite-sized lessons
- Check out audio and video lessons on AfrikaansPod101
- Also, find and hire affordable Afrikaans tutors on italki or Preply
Now, let’s discover all the apps, one by one.
Best apps to learn Afrikaans
1. Mondly
Mondly is a great starting point for beginners, but it’s also full of lessons for intermediate and advanced students!
Improve your Afrikaans pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary with this handy app, as it arranges its lessons into short, digestible units. Complete with games and an achievement leaderboard, it’s the perfect platform to study and practice with!
On top of that, you can use Mondly’s hands-free format to record and practice your speech.
Why learn Afrikaans with Mondly:
- Contains beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons
- High-quality audio and recording technology
- Unique hands-free format
Pricing: Monday is free for one lesson a day. To get full access, upgrade your subscription to Mondly premium–it’s worth it. Check the latest Mondly promo here.
Devices: iOS and Android
2. Ling
Learn and play with Master Ling, an interactive platform filled with language courses, quizzes, and fun mini-games!
Through its user-friendly interface, students can easily pick up Afrikaans vocabulary and grammar in a clear and organized manner.
Lessons are taught through engaging games, such as picture matching, flashcards, and sentence arrangement to keep you up and going. Plus, it’s got an engaging chatbot you can practice with!
Why learn Afrikaans with Ling:
- Afrikaans lessons for beginners and above
- Dynamic user interface
- Interactive chatbot for conversation practice
Pricing: Learning with Master Ling is free! Should you want more content, the Pro version is $4/month (paid yearly).
Devices: iOS and Android
3. Simply Learn Afrikaans
Vocabulary means everything to the new learner—and luckily, Simply Learn Afrikaans has compiled all the essential words and phrases in its free app!
Expand your knowledge with this handy phrasebook. Inside, not only will you hear from native speakers, but you’ll also get to see key Afrikaans terms in both their original and phonetic forms.
To further jog your memory, you can also learn through its dynamic quizzes and flashcards!
Why learn Afrikaans with Simply Learn Afrikaans:
- Important vocabulary (with English translation)
- Audio recorded by native speakers
- Save, copy, and search for words easily
Pricing: Simply Learn Afrikaans is free with in-app purchases priced at $0.99/item.
Devices: iOS and Android
4. italki
Getting a study buddy has been easier than ever with italki, an online platform designed to pair you up with a native-speaking tutor.
Whether you want to converse with a community tutor or get academic advice from a professional—the choice is in your hands! By examining the different profiles and rates, you can select your teacher and schedule classes on the italki Virtual Classroom or Skype.
As an alternative, Preply also features a wide array of certified and highly rated tutors you can study with.
Why learn Afrikaans with italki:
- Choose from community and professional tutors
- New users get discounted lessons
- Practice speaking and/or get a personal lesson plan
Pricing: italki Afrikaans tutor rates start at $5/lesson. You can also find discounted rates!
Devices: iOS and Android
5. AfrikaansPod101
If you want to focus on speaking and dialogue, AfrikaansPod101 makes a simple, portable, and innovative solution! Equipped with lengthy audio and video content, this app comes with a wide media library you can access on its online and offline modes.
Feel free to slow down the audio, read through its transcripts, or even record yourself speaking! You can likewise use its flashcards, word lists, and slideshows to bolster your understanding.
While beginners can use this, I recommend you first get a firm grasp on Afrikaans vocabulary, since the lessons here are dialogue-heavy.
Why learn Afrikaans with AfrikaansPod101:
- Beginner and advanced Afrikaans lessons
- Stream and download content from its media library
- Self-recording tools
Pricing: Get the 12-month Premium plan for $180. But, if you want 1-on-1 lessons with a personal teacher, try out its Premium PLUS plan for $316.
Devices: iOS and Android
6. Learn Afrikaans by 50 Languages
Learn Afrikaans covers level A1-A2 studies in its neat, bite-sized application. In just 30 units, you’ll expand your vocabulary, learn common expressions, and practice Afrikaans in real-life situations!
This phrasebook uses a combination of audio and text to cover various topics, such as the alphabet and numbers.
You can even learn and translate from your native tongue since the app covers 2,500 different language combinations!
Why learn Afrikaans with 50 languages:
- 30 lessons on Afrikaans vocabulary
- Bonus games and quizzes
- Study in any native language
Pricing: It’s free! In-app purchases start at $2.99/item.
Devices: iOS (all languages) and Android (Afrikaans only)
7. Clozemaster
Master your studies with Clozemaster, a gamified way of learning a new language.
Learn new words, level up, and play with friends! Based on the famous cloze test, this platform uses a fast-paced and competitive approach to teach you Afrikaans vocabulary and grammar.
Apart from giving you a break from your studies, this Afrikaans language learning app will also teach you how to read, write, and speak with confidence through its engaging games and media.
Note: Given the pace and breadth of its lessons, this tool is best for intermediate and advanced students.
Why learn Afrikaans with Clozemaster:
- Study by yourself or compete with other users
- Playful lessons, games, and quizzes
- Best for intermediate and advanced learners
Pricing: Clozemaster is free. For advanced features, Clozemaster Pro is available at $8/month.
Devices: iOS and Android
8. Learn Afrikaans Daily
Travelers and students alike will enjoy using Learn Afrikaans Daily, as it contains over 5000 practical words and phrases!
With this app, you can test yourself through its sentence-making quizzes, practice your pronunciation through its self-recording technology, or even translate from 32 different languages to Afrikaans!
However, know that some users have found issues with its microphone component, as well as some slight errors in translation. But otherwise, this is still a fine means of easing into the language.
Why learn Afrikaans with Learn Afrikaans Daily:
- Features 5000+ words and phrases
- Made for offline use
- Read, speak, and translate Afrikaans
Pricing: This app is free, although it runs several ads. In-app products are priced at $2.99/item to start.
9. Learn Afrikaans. Speak Afrikaans. Study Afrikaans. by Bluebird Languages
Bluebird Languages presents a clear guide to speaking Afrikaans. Composed of high-frequency words, verbs, sentence compositions, and conversational lessons, this platform will perfect your dialogue and pronunciation in no time at all!
Practice your speech just by listening and repeating after native speakers. Typically, this app’s lessons last between 15-45 minutes and consist of interactive videos, quizzes, and trackable statistics.
If that’s not enough, you can even customize your lessons to your current study goals or occupation!
Why learn Afrikaans with Bluebird Languages:
- Lessons narrated in 146 different languages
- Hands-free, Google Home, and TV streaming integrations
- Helps develop your speech
Pricing: This app is free! For access to more content, in-app purchases start at $9.99/item.
Devices: iOS (all languages) and Android (Afrikaans only)
FAQs about learning Afrikaans
Is Afrikaans easy to learn?
Compared to other languages, Afrikaans is surprisingly an easy-to-learn language. Part of it is due to its creole origin, which makes it similar to its parent language, Dutch, in terms of grammar.
Furthermore, its cognate words have Germanic roots—so if you’re familiar with the Germanic languages (such as English, German, and Dutch), then studying Afrikaans won’t be as tough!
Where is Afrikaans spoken?
Did you know that, among the 11 official languages recognized by the South African government, Afrikaans is one of the only two Indo-European languages included (next to English)?
Afrikaans is commonly spoken in South Africa (primarily Cape Town) and Namibia, Southern African countries (like Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Eswatini), and in other communities from Australia, the U.K., and New Zealand. A total of 17 million people use the language, with 7 million of them being native speakers.
However, due to the colonial history attached to the language, only a small proportion of black South Africans consider it their native tongue. Some would prefer the use of English in public, academic, and official communication.
Why should I learn Afrikaans?
There are three main reasons to learn Afrikaans.
First, this will let you communicate with others while touring South Africa! While English is commonly spoken there, nonetheless, being fluent in this can still help you get around.
Second, learning Afrikaans will help you learn Dutch too because both languages are mutually intelligible to an extent. Having “descended” from the Dutch, most of its grammar and vocabulary have similar roots.
Third, given the prevalent history and culture surrounding it, learning Afrikaans will ultimately give you a deeper perspective on the movements, art, and ideas associated with the language.
What’s the best app to learn Afrikaans?
You can start with getting beginner lessons on Ling or Mondly, for not only will you go through the basics with ease, but with fun as well! Feel free to use these apps with the phrasebook from Simply Learn Afrikaans for easy review and a conversational tutor from italki or Preply for consistent practice.
Is Afrikaans on Duolingo?
Afrikaans isn’t on Duolingo. It’s not on Pimsleur either. But, if you want to level up your studies through competitive mini-games, try Mondly’s structured courses, or Ling’s light and dynamic lesson UI. You can pair them with Clozemaster for supplementary games and exercises.
Is Afrikaans on Babbel?
Afrikaans isn’t on Babbel either. To brush up on your conversation skills, you can use Ling’s interactive chatbot or Mondly’s hands-free speaking format to get the lessons you need. Of course, consulting a native speaker on italki or Preply will improve your skills a lot!
What is the best way to learn Afrikaans?
The best way to learn Afrikaans is to get different resources for reading, writing, and speaking. Luckily, you won’t have trouble finding these, as there are many books, apps, and websites that you can access with just a click away!
According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, Afrikaans is a Category 1 language, or one similar to English.
That being said, the FSI recommends that you observe 23-24 weeks (575-600 hours) of study to progress your fluency. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect—or in this case, proficient!