South African Language Crash Course

South African English is lekker!

South Africans speak English, that doesn't mean you'll always understand us. Our robots are nothing like R2D2, just now doesn't mean immediately, and babbelas is not a shampoo.
SA English has a flavour all its own, borrowing freely from Afrikaans - which is similar to Dutch and Flemish - as well as from the country's many African languages, with some words coming from colonial-era Malay and Portuguese immigrants.

Note: In many words derived from Afrikaans, the letter "g" is pronounced in the same way as the "ch" in the Scottish "loch" or the German "achtung" - a kind of growl at the back of the throat. In the pronunciation guides below, the spelling for this sound is given as "gh".
 

·  A
APARTHEID:  (ap-art-hate) - Literally "apart-ness" in Afrikaans, apartheid was the policy of racial separation, and the resulting oppression of the black majority, implemented by the National Party from 1948 to 1990.
 

·  B
BABALAS: THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE.

BAKKIE: A SMALL TUP OR A CAR THAT RESEMBLES A PICKUP.

BIGAMIST: HEAVY FOG IN ITALIAN.

BILTONG: DRIED RAW MEAT (AN NO, IT'S NOT BULL'S TONGUE).

BO (BO-KAAP): BO = ABOVE,  KAAP = CAPE

BOER: AFRIKAANS FOR FARMER. SOMEONE WHO WEARS SOCKS UP THEIR KNEES.

BOEREKOS: LOTS OF FAT, MEAT, CHOLESTEROL, SUGAR. THIS IS LEKKER FARM COOKING.

BOEREWORS: SAUSAGE. AN AFRIKAANS LEGACY AND AN INDESPENABLE PART OF THE SA BRAAI.

BRAAI: THE CULINARY MAINSTAY OF THE NATION. ONLY PERFORMED BY MEN SO THAT THE WOMEN CAN RELAX IN THE KITCHEN. KNOWN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AS A BARBEQUE, BRAAING IS A NATIONAL PASTIME NO MATTER WHAT RACE OR LANGUAGE. THREE TIPS: DON'T MESS WITH THE FIREMAKERS FIRE,  DON'T COME HUNGRY AND DON'T GIVE ADVICE.

BRAAI BROTIJKE: BRAAI BREAD. YOU TAKE A SLICE OF TOAST, PUT BUTTER OR MARGARINE ON TOP, THAN A SLICE OF ONION, A SLICE OF TOMATO AND A SLICE OF CHEESE (GOUDA OR CHEDDAR). AT LAST PUT A SLICE OF TOAST ON TOP. BRAAI IT FROM BOTH SIDES UNTIL THE CHEESE MELTS AND THE TOAST IS NOT BURNT YET. THIS TAKES THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTEAD OF SALAD FOR HIS BRAAI.

BROOKIE LACE: THE WROUGHT IRON BORDER AROUND A STOEP: A BIT TOUGHER THAN LINGERIE.

BUCKS:  SOUTH AFRICAN MONEY OR AN ANTELOPE.

·  D
DOP: A DRINK WITH AN ALCOHOLIC KICK.

·  E
EK SE: A  QUIRKY AFRIKAANS PHRASE MEANING "I SAY", BUT NOT REALLY TRANSLATABLE INTO ENGLISH.

·  F
FYNBOS: INDIGENOUS PLANTLIFE FOUND IN THE CAPE, NOT TO MISTAKEN FOR ROOIBOS.

·  H
HANGOVER: THE MOURNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE.

·  I
IS IT?: THE MOST USEFUL, SINGLE PHRASE IN SOUTH AFRICAN ENGLISH. SAID IN VARYING TONES OF VOICE, IT MEANS "YES, NO, REALLY, YOU DON'T SAY, I DIDN'T KNOW" AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF. YOU CAN HAVE AN ENTIRE CONVERSATION WITH THIS PHRASE.

·  J
JUST NOW or NOW NOW: ANYTHING FROM 5 MINUTES TO 2 WEEKS IN THE PAST OR IN THE FUTURE.

·  K
KARAOKE: JAPANESE FOR "TONE-DEAF DRUNK WITH MICROPHONE".

KHOI/SAN: BUSHMEN

KOPPIE: A SMALL HILL, BUT ALSO ONE CAN SAY A "KOPPIE KOFFIE" (CUP OF COFFEE).

KOS: AFRIKAANS FOR FOOD OR COST. DE KOS KOS... (NO, NOT THE STUFF THAT LOOKS LIKE RICE).

KWAITO: BLACK TECHNO. (SOUTH) AFRICAN RAVE MUSIC.

·  L
LEKKER: NICE, GOOD. GREAT.

LOSKOP: WHAT A BABALAS DOES TO YOUR MEMORY.

·  M
MENSE: PEOPLE

·  O
OU: OLD IN AFRIKAANS. USUALLY AN "OU MAN".

OVERSEAS: ANYWHERE THAT IS NOT SOUTH AFRICA.

·  P
POTJIE: A TRADITIONAL WAY OF COOKING STEW-TYPE FOOD VERY SLOWLY (MIN. 5 HOURS) IN A CAST IRON POT OVER A FIRE.

·  R
ROBOT: TRAFFIC LIGHTS. SO CALLED BECAUSE THEY ARE CAPABLE OF INDEPENDENT THOUGHT AND MALICIOUS IN ACTION DESIGNED TO ANNOY ANY DRIVER IN A HURRY.

ROOIBOS: OUR FAVOURITE HERBAL TEA.

ROOINEK: THE BOERE INSULT FOR SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH AND GETS SUNBURNT EASILY.

·  S
SANGOMA: AFRICAN WITCHDOCTOR. NOT TO BE MESSED WITH.

SARMIES: SANDWICHES. PEANUT-BUTTER AND JAM IS A SOUTH AFRICAN FAVOURITE. OR TRY MARMITE - NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR MARMALADE.

SHEBEEN: AFRICAN BARS OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY. WHERE ENLIGHTENED WHITIES BUY BEER ON WEEKENDS.

SKOLLIES: NAUGHTY BAD PEOPLE. USUALLY CRIMINALS. THE KIND OF PEOPLE YOUR MOTHER WARNED YOU ABOUT, BUT WORSE.

SLAAPSTAD: A PLAY ON KAAPSTAD (AFRIKAANS FOR CAPE TOWN) WHICH MEANS SLEEPY TOWN BECAUSE EVERYONE IS SO LAID-BACK (LAZY).

SLAP CHIPS: WHAT YOU GET WITH FISH. THEY SHOULD BE SOFT AND GOOEY. FRENCH FRIES.

SPOOK EN DIESEL: BRANDY AND COKE AND LOTS OF ICE.

STOEP: VERANDA FOUND IN MOST SOUTH AFRICAN HOMES. PRONOUNCED "STOOP".

·  T
TREK: TRAVEL OR PULL

·  V
VROT (FROT): ROTTEN (FOOD)