Like knowing your way around dates in Afrikaans (learn about that in our blog!), being able to tell time in Afrikaans is an equally important conversational skill to master. Also, it could save you a lot of embarrassment.
What good would it be if you knew you had to pitch somewhere on Dinsdag (Tuesday), but you didn’t know the meaning of agtuur (“eight o’clock”)? Or which agtuur of the day was being referred to?
Let AfrikaansPod101 make it easy for you. If you want, you can start with recorded vocabulary lessons like Talking about Time and dialogue examples such as Arriving at the Right Time in South Africa!
First, let’s quickly get clarity on the two ways we tell time. Both are used to indicate time in Afrikaans.
Twelve-Hour Clock
This way of telling the time divides the twenty-four-hour day into two twelve-hour periods. These are referred to as a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem).
Afrikaners use this clock the most. The terms commonly used are voormiddag or the abbreviation v.m. (to indicate “ante meridiem/a.m.”), and namiddag or its abbreviation n.m. (to indicate “post meridiem/p.m.”).
These are most employed in writing, such as in: elf v.m. (“eleven a.m.)” or 09h00 n.m. (“09h00 p.m.”).
In conversations, though, you’ll most likely use other adjectives that indicate p.m. or a.m. in Afrikaans. Read on for more about this.
Twenty-Four-Hour Clock
The twenty-four-hour clock is also called military or astronomical time. This time format is based on the entire twenty-four-hour period, with each hour of the day having its own number.
When keeping time this way, the day starts at midnight and is indicated like this: 00:00. The last minute of the day is written as 23:59, or one minute before the next midnight. This system is clever and efficient. Therefore, it’s used by armed forces, pilots and airlines, astronomists, governments, hospitals, emergency services, and so forth.
In South Africa, this way of indicating the time isn’t commonly used colloquially, but more in writing.
How to write time in Afrikaans depends on the type of document you’re writing it down for. If you’re indicating the time in a non-fiction document, such as in a formal report, statement, or legal document, you can use either 12h00 or 12:00. Depending on which clock you use, you’ll either omit or add p.m. or a.m. in Afrikaans.
If you’re noting the time in a work of fiction, such as part of a dialogue, you’ll write it out in full, such as in “six o’clock” (sesuur).
Let’s get cracking on how to ask what time it is in Afrikaans, and how to tell it!
Table of Contents
- How to Ask for the Time in Afrikaans
- Hours / Ure
- Minutes / Minute
- Periods of Time in Afrikaans
- General Time References
- Adverbs of Time in Afrikaans
- BONUS! Time Proverbs, Sayings, and Odd Terms in Afrikaans
- AfrikaansPod101 Can Help You Tell the Time in Afrikaans in No Time!
1. How to Ask for the Time in Afrikaans
1- Formal
The following are polite and socially refined ways of asking the time in excellent Afrikaans. Use it if you want to impress someone!
Afrikaans: Kan u my sê wat die tyd is, asseblief?
Translation: “Could you tell me the time, please?”
Note: The u (“you”) in Afrikaans is the formal type of address, mostly used when talking to complete strangers, dignitaries, or older people you don’t know well. You can also use this sentence with the informal “you,” which is jy.
Afrikaans: Mag ek verneem wat die tyd is, asseblief?
Translation: “May I ask the time, please?”
2- Informal
Afrikaans: Hoe laat is dit nou, ‘seblief?
Translation: “What’s the time now, please?”
Note: “How late is it now, please?” is the literal translation of this Afrikaans sentence, but in English, you’d ask the question in a specific context. You’d use it, for instance, if you wanted to know how late at night it is, to which an answer could be: “very late” or “still early.”
In Afrikaans, though, this question is a common way of asking the time. Also note the contraction of asseblief (“please”). If you don’t know the person very well, or if you’re addressing a parent or older family member, it’s polite to use ‘seblief. If it’s your mate and you’re comfortable with one another, it’s okay to omit this word when asking for the time.
Afrikaans: Wat’s die tyd?
Translation: “What’s the time?”
Note: The same applies for ‘seblief as above. Also note the contraction for wat is to wat’s. (Like “what is” becomes “what’s.”)
Afrikaans: Hoe lank gaan dit neem om daar te kom?
Translation: “How long will it take to get there?”
Afrikaans: Hoe laat/Watter tyd moet ons by die lughawe wees?
Translation: “How late/What time must we be at the airport?”
What would the reply look like to questions like these?
2. Hours / Ure
There’s no distinction between a formal and informal way of telling time in Afrikaans. Keep in mind that you can also use an approximation with adverbs or adjectives.
Afrikaans: Dis nou presies agtuur.
Translation: “It’s now exactly eight o’clock.”
Afrikaans: Dit neem ongeveer ‘n uur om daar te kom.
Translation: “It takes approximately an hour to get there.”
Afrikaans: Ons vlieg nege-uur vanaand. So ons moet om-en-by sewe by die lughawe wees.
Translation: “We’re flying at nine o’clock tonight. So we must be at the airport around seven.”
Note: Just like with “o’clock,” the uur is sometimes omitted in casual conversations.
3. Minutes / Minute
Like in most casual and conversational English, noting the precise number of minutes isn’t very common in Afrikaans. Simply add the appropriate number to minuut (singular) or minute (plural).
Afrikaans: Hy hardloop vir ‘n minuut.
Translation: “He runs for a minute.”
Afrikaans: Ek gaan vir so twintig minute stort.
Translation: “I’m going to shower for approximately twenty minutes.”
Afrikaans: Die winkel is nog oop vir ‘n uur en vyftien minute.
Translation: “The shop is still open for an hour and fifteen minutes.”
Afrikaans: Sy praat nou al vir ses-en-dertig minute!
Translation: “She’s been talking for thirty-six minutes already!”
4. Periods of Time in Afrikaans
This has got nothing to do with Downton Abbey or Outlander. It refers to the divisions of an hour into quarters and halves.
This is how we say it in Afrikaans:
Afrikaans: kwart oor drie and kwart voor vyf
Translation: “quarter past three” and “quarter to five”
Note: Here, “quarter” and kwart are contractions of “quarter of an hour” and kwartier. It is, of course, a fifteen-minute increment.
Afrikaans: half vier
Translation: “half past three”
Note: Nope, it’s not wrong, and it can seem confusing. But it’s very easily explained. In English, talking about half of an hour (“half past three”) literally means: “It’s now a half-an-hour past/after three o’clock.” In Afrikaans, instead, talking about half of an hour (half vier) means: “It is now a half-an-hour to/before four o’clock.” Same thing, different angles, so to speak! It takes a bit of practice if you’re not used to it, but once you understand the concept, it’s very easy.
Afrikaans: Ons vertrek oor ‘n halfuur van die huis af.
Translation: “We’re leaving home in half an hour.”
Afrikaans: Die taxi gaan oor ‘n driekwartier hier wees.
Translation: “The taxi will be here in three quarters of an hour/forty-five minutes.”
5. General Time References
The following time words in Afrikaans are common references pertaining to time.
Afrikaans: oggend and aand
Translation: “morning” and “evening”
Example: Die oggend is koel, net soos die aand.
Translation: “The morning is cool, just like the evening.”
Afrikaans: nag and middernag
Translation: “night” and “midnight”
Example: Die nag is stil en middernag is donker.
Translation: “The night is quiet and midnight is dark.”
Afrikaans: vroegoggend and laataand
Translation: “early morning” and “late in the evening”
Example: Ons vertrek vroegoggend en keer laataand terug.
Translation: “We leave early in the morning and will return late in the evening.”
Afrikaans: laatnag
Translation: “late at night”
Example: Hy verkies dit om laatnag te ry.
Translation: “He prefers driving late at night.”
Afrikaans: sonsopkoms
Translation: “sunrise”
Example: Die sonsopkoms is asemrowend mooi.
Translation: “The sunrise is breathtakingly beautiful.”
Afrikaans: sonsondergang
Translation: “sunset”
Example: Die sonsondergang is net so mooi.
Translation: “The sunset is equally beautiful.”
Afrikaans: vanmiddag
Translation: “afternoon”
Example: Wat gaan ons vanmiddag eet?
Translation: “What are we eating this afternoon?”
Afrikaans: middag
Translation: “midday”
Example: Teen die middag was hy gesond.
Translation: “By midday, he was well.”
6. Adverbs of Time in Afrikaans
Afrikaans: onmiddelik
Translation: “right now” or “immediately”
Example: Hy wil sy kos onmiddelik hê.
Translation: “He wants his food right now.”
Afrikaans: oombliklik
Translation: “instantly”
Example: Die kos is oombliklik reg.
Translation: “The food is instantly ready.”
Afrikaans: ‘n oomblik
Translation: “momentarily”
Example: Sy bly ‘n oomblik stil.
Translation: “She pauses momentarily.”
Afrikaans: tans
Translation: “currently”
Example: Dis tans winter by ons.
Translation: “It’s currently winter here.”
Afrikaans: intussen
Translation: “meanwhile”
Example: Intussen, neem die pynstillers tot die dokter beskikbaar is.
Translation: “Meanwhile, take the painkillers until the doctor is available.”
Afrikaans: voor en na
Translation: “before” and “after” OR “afterward”
Example: Moenie die pille neem voor jy geëet het nie. Neem dit na die tyd.
Translation: “Don’t take the pills before you’ve eaten. Take them afterward.”
Afrikaans: terselfdertyd OR die selfde tyd
Translation: “simultaneously”
Example: Moenie pille en drank terselfdertyd neem nie.
Translation: “Don’t take pills and alcohol simultaneously.”
Afrikaans: binnekort and amper
Translation: “soon” and “almost”
Example: Ons gaan binnekort ry. Ek is amper reg.
Translation: “We’re leaving soon. I’m almost ready.”
Afrikaans: nou-nou
Translation: “in a while”
Example: Die taxi is nou-nou hier.
Translation: “The taxi will be here in a while.”
Afrikaans: vir ‘n lang tyd
Translation: “for a long time”
Example: Gaan julle ‘n lang tyd weg?
Translation: “Are you going away for a long time?”
Afrikaans: lankal
Translation: “for a long time already/now”
Example: Ons is al lankal hier.
Translation: “We’ve been here for a long time already.”
Afrikaans: enige tyd
Translation: “anytime”
Example: Bel my enige tyd.
Translation: “Call me anytime.”
Afrikaans: so gou as moontlik
Translation: “as soon as possible”
Example: Ek sal jou so gou as moontlik kontak.
Translation: “I will call you as soon as possible.”
7. BONUS! Time Proverbs, Sayings, and Odd Terms in Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a colorful, literal language, and some of its sayings about time are very quaint. Here are the most common and interesting Afrikaans time sayings!
Afrikaans: Moenie wors in ‘n hondehok soek nie.
Translation: “Don’t look for sausage in a kennel.”
Meaning: Don’t waste time on a lost cause!
Afrikaans: draaikous
Translation: Literally, this translates as “turn sock.” Nope, we don’t know either! But it means the same thing as “dawdler.”
Example: Die seun is ‘n regte draaikous!
Meaning: “That boy is a real dawdler!”
Afrikaans: hanna-hanna
Translation: There’s not a literal translation for this term.
Meaning: It’s an old Cape-Afrikaans saying that gets used when someone takes their time doing something.
Example: Jy hanna-hanna nou lekker met jou huiswerk, nê?
Translation: Approximation – “You’re dawdling with your homework, hey?”
Afrikaans: Die oggendstond het goud in die mond.
Translation: “Early dawn has gold in the mouth.”
Meaning: This means that those who rise early get more done.
Afrikaans: hoeka
Translation: Another one without a translation! An approximation would be “for a while now,” which means almost the same as lankal (discussed under the previous heading).
Example: Hy wag hoeka vir daardie verslag.
Translation: “He’s been waiting a while already for the report.”
Afrikaans: gevrek
Translation: “dead”
Meaning: Literally, it means something is dead, but it’s often used to indicate that someone is very slow and takes their time. It’s not a very flattering or polite way to describe a person, though!
Example: Die diens hier is maar gevrek!
Translation: “The service here is very slow!”
Do you have a favorite proverb or saying about time in your language? Share with us in the comments!
8. AfrikaansPod101 Can Help You Tell the Time in Afrikaans in No Time!
Don’t be a draaikous and waste precious time—enrol now with AfrikaansPod101! As a beginner, you’ll get access to helpful audio lessons, such as Choosing a Delivery Time in South Africa. Intermediate learners get access to dialogue examples such as What Time is it in South Africa? All of our lessons are designed to teach you how to sound like a native speaker from the word “go!”
That’s not all—you’ll have plenty of FREE learning tools at your disposal, such as many culturally-relevant vocabulary lists, a fantastic online Afrikaans Dictionary, and thousands of lessons in different formats!
Easily learn and practice Afrikaans grammar, vocabulary, reading & writing, comprehension, and much more with AfrikaansPod101!
