Numbers

1. Een, twee, drie

   One, two, three

   Usage

   Basic numbers; Afrikaans numerals are very similar to Dutch

   Grammar Note

   Afrikaans numerals are nearly identical to Dutch. "Één" with accents shows emphasis

2. Vier, vyf, ses

   Four, five, six

   Usage

   Numbers 4–6. "Vyf" (5) has a pronunciation similar to English "five"

   Grammar Note

   "Vyf" corresponds to Dutch "vijf". Afrikaans often changes "ij" to "y"

3. Sewe, agt, nege, tien

   Seven, eight, nine, ten

   Usage

   Numbers 7–10. "Agt"'s "g" is a guttural fricative sound like in Dutch

   Grammar Note

   The "g" in "agt" is a velar fricative [x], similar to Scottish "loch" or German "Bach"

4. Elf, twaalf, dertien

   Eleven, twelve, thirteen

   Usage

   Numbers 11–13; used for bus routes, phone numbers, and more

   Grammar Note

   "Elf" and "twaalf" are identical to Dutch. "Dertien" = Dutch "dertien"

5. Twintig, dertig, vyftig

   Twenty, thirty, fifty

   Usage

   Tens digits used frequently when stating prices or ages

   Grammar Note

   The suffix "-tig" marks tens in Afrikaans and Dutch (twintig=20, dertig=30, etc.)

6. Honderd, tweehonderd, duisend

   One hundred, two hundred, one thousand

   Usage

   Larger numbers used when discussing prices or distances

   Grammar Note

   "Honderd" is identical to Dutch. "Duisend" corresponds to Dutch "duizend" (thousand)

7. Hoeveel is dit?

   How many / how much is this?

   Usage

   General-purpose phrase to ask about quantity or price

   Grammar Note

   "Hoeveel" = hoe (how) + veel (much/many); can ask about quantity or price depending on context

8. Eerste, tweede, derde

   First, second, third

   Usage

   Used to express order or ranking; also used for floor numbers in hotels

   Grammar Note

   Ordinal numbers in Afrikaans are identical to Dutch; the suffixes -de/-ste form ordinals

9. Twee kaartjies, asseblief

   Two tickets, please

   Usage

   Used to purchase tickets at tourist attractions or public transportation

   Grammar Note

   "Kaartjie" = kaart (card) + -jie (diminutive suffix). Afrikaans uses diminutives frequently

10. Watter verdieping is dit?

    Which floor is this?

    Usage

    Used in shopping malls or hotels to find what floor something is on

    Grammar Note

    "Verdieping" means "floor/storey" in Afrikaans and Dutch, literally "a deepening/layer"

11. Ek is sewe-en-twintig jaar oud

    I'm 27 years old

    Usage

    Giving your age — the answer to "Hoe oud is jy?" ("How old are you?")

    Grammar Note

    Afrikaans says "to be N years old" rather than "to have N years", following the same frame as "My kind is ses jaar oud". Numerals from 21 to 99 are hyphenated units-en-tens, and "jaar" stays singular after a numeral.

12. Ek word vanjaar agt-en-twintig

    I turn 28 this year

    Usage

    Saying the age you will reach this year; "vanjaar" is a single word meaning "this year"

    Grammar Note

    "Word" is the verb "to become"; with ages the phrase "jaar oud" is normally dropped and the numeral stands alone, as in "word sestig" ("turns sixty"). "Vanjaar" is a compound of van + jaar and is written as one word.

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