The Best Afrikaans Learning Apps In 2024
There are a number of reasons why using an app can be a great way to learn Afrikaans. Not only can you use them anywhere at any time, but they’re also really useful for helping you retain the vocabulary you learn, because they’re fun, interactive and engaging, and things we learn while having fun stick with us.
Afrikaans learning apps come in all shapes and sizes, and we feel it’s good to have a variety of them that focus on different areas. We know everyone learns differently, which is why we’ve selected a diverse range for you to choose from.
We’ve tried to include as many cross platform apps as we could, though that wasn’t always possible. We’ve also spent time using each and every app on this list, so rest assured that our feedback is coming from a place of personal experience.
Finally, we suggest using several apps in conjunction with each other to get the most out of them, and to make the Afrikaans learning process as varied and effective as possible.
8 Best Apps to Learn Afrikaans
Ling Afrikaans
The Ling app helps you learn Afrikaans quickly and easily with fun mini-games, quizzes, and chatbot conversations. You can also learn Afrikaans grammar with the detailed tips and instructions that accompany the course.
Lessons are designed to be short and sweet, making it possible to study Afrikaans effectively for just 7 minutes a day.
The program is based on expert linguistic research and backed by a team of passionate language teachers. That’s what makes the unique Ling method work so well.
Ling is available on iOS, Android and computers, accessible online or offline. You can play the free lessons without an account, but the full course requires an account.
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We say: Plenty of ways to test your skills. You can practice speaking by recording yourself and letting the app review your pronunciation.
The chatbot function is what we love most about the Ling app. It shows you simple conversations spoken by natives and accompanied by text, thereby getting you used to hearing how real Afrikaans conversations sound.
You are then prompted to contribute to the dialogue by choosing the correct responses, which gives you the feeling of being a part of a real-life, albeit simple, conversation in Afrikaans.
There are tests after every lesson, designed to test your Afrikaans speaking, listening and reading comprehension.
It’s a great-looking app that works smoothly. You’ll pick up a lot of the basics quickly without it feeling like a chore. It’s perfect for people on busy schedules, as the lessons take no time at all to complete.
PRICE: Free introductory lessons. Full course works on a subscription model – $8.99 per month; $54.99 per year; or $149.99 for lifetime access. This price includes access to not just the Afrikaans course but the other 60+ languages.
Learn Afrikaans by Bluebird Languages
The Learn Afrikaans app by Bluebird Languages is an excellent option for those looking to learn the language through a primarily audio approach.
The interactive audio lessons are in English, and they cover several different topics, giving you the ability to create a personalized course based on your interests.
There are hundreds of hours’ worth of native Afrikaans lessons that run between 15 – 45 minutes. In that time you’ll learn how to not only speak, listen and read Afrikaans, but you’ll pick up the grammar naturally.
Additionally, the app uses the scientifically proven spaced repetition technique to help you learn quickly and retain what you learn long-term. Finally, the app offers quizzes to test your knowledge and reinforce what you’ve learned.
Available on both Android and iOS devices.
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We say: This is one of our favorites. You get daily lessons that are 6 minutes long, and in that time you learn to read, listen to and speak about 4 new sentences. That’s one new lesson per day for all 3 levels – beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
As the lesson progresses, the program will refer back to previous sentences and get you to recall and repeat them, just to make sure you remember.
There’s a quiz you can take for each lesson, which will test your spelling, reading, and listening skills. Plus you’ll find the flashcards, pronunciation analysis, and voice comparison sections very handy for checking your progress.
You get a handful of free lessons, but most of the good stuff is premium. And although there’s guest login, if you want to really track your process, you’ll need to set up an account.
Sometimes the audio doesn’t play, and we’ve noticed a spelling mistake or two.
PRICE: Free introductory lessons. Full course (including access to all 160+ languages) costs $13.99 per month or $144.99 per year.
Memrise – Afrikaans Beginner to Intermediate Course
The Memrise app is a great way to learn core Afrikaans words and sentences. It uses a spaced repetition system to help you remember what you learn, and it offers a variety of review intervals so you can keep the information fresh in your mind.
The Afrikaans Beginner to Intermediate course is 33 hours long, has 202 levels, and is composed of 10 words/phrases per level, for a grand total of 1982 core words/phrases.
You’ll learn all the basic vocabulary you’ll need to construct your own sentences, ask and answer questions, and hold simple conversations in Afrikaans.
It’s a community-made course, like most courses on Memrise, meaning it isn’t perfect.
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We say: This is one of the most popular, most comprehensive Afrikaans courses on Memrise. It doesn’t take long to complete each level, and thanks to the spaced repetition, you’ll constantly be reminded of past vocabulary so you don’t forget it.
The downside is that there’s no audio, which is a bit of a bummer, seeing as Afrikaans has tricky pronunciation that a beginner wouldn’t be able to figure out on their own.
Still, it’s a great course for beginners who want to learn to read Afrikaans. The best way to use this is to combine it with one of the apps on this list that includes audio.
PRICE: Free.
Smart Afrikaans Dictionary
The Smart Afrikaans Dictionary app is a great tool for those looking for a solid, offline Afrikaans dictionary.
It includes not only the translated word, but its meaning, plus synonyms and antonyms. The app also allows you to search for words in both English and Afrikaans, and provides a history list and favorites list for easy reference.
This is only available on iOS/Apple devices.
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We say: The dictionary is basic with few settings. Not much to it, really. Quick and easy to use.
There are plenty of words, but the app feels somewhat incomplete. There’s audio and long descriptions of each word in English, but none of these in Afrikaans. We’d suggest using this dictionary with another, as a supplement.
PRICE: Free.
English To Afrikaans Dictionary
This app provides a comprehensive and authoritative English to Afrikaans/Afrikaans to English dictionary with over 100,000 words and phrases.
It offers fast offline access with a scrollable index that lets you browse the entire dictionary. There’s also a shuffle function, which is useful for learning random new words.
The developers update it regularly, so it’s always kept up-to-date. It’s only available on Android devices.
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We say: The 2-way translation option is useful, though sadly there’s no audio for the Afrikaans words, only the English (which seems to be a pattern with most of these apps). And for some reason the audio comes out very fast, with no ability to slow it down.
There are a couple of word games – an English to Afrikaans & vice versa quiz, which is unlimited, plus a hangman game. These are great for furthering your learning in a fun way.
Plus, there’s a history of searched words list along with the ability to add words to your favorites list.
PRICE: Free.
Learn Afrikaans by MetaLanguage
The MetaLanguage Learn Afrikaans app is a great tool for those looking to learn the basics of the Afrikaans language quickly and easily. The app provides simple audio conversation that can be listened to anywhere, anytime, making it easy to master basic conversation skills.
The friendly user interface and easy-to-use features take the hassle out of learning Afrikaans. Great for those in South Africa who need to learn the basics fast.
There are 28 topics with dozens of words/phrases in each, all with clear, native audio. The vocabulary section features 37 further topics consisting of words relating to each.
You can also make a favorites list for quick access to tricky words.
Only available on Android devices.
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We say: This app is far too ad-heavy, and that’s not an exaggeration. Every time you press to go to another screen, a video ad starts playing. This, we feel, really ruins what would otherwise be a great Afrikaans learning tool. The paid version isn’t very expensive, though, so that’s always an option.
There’s lots to love about this app, including the clear audio for every Afrikaans word and phrase, and the neat feature that will slow down the audio when you press the word a second time, allowing you to hear every syllable clearly.
There are also 6 games to play to test your vocabulary, which just adds another layer of fun to the learning process. They’re each designed to test different skills, such as reading, listening and speed.
PRICE: Free with (lots of) ads, or $4.99 ad-free.
uTalk Afrikaans
This course is designed to help you learn useful, everyday Afrikaans words and phrases. It’s divided into topics, each of which will take a few hours to complete. You can learn at your own pace, and the course includes 60+ topics, with native speaker audio for every word.
There are also five games to test your knowledge: a matching game, easy game, speaking game, hard game, memory game and recall game. With these, you’ll constantly be able to track your progress as you go.
All audio is clear, spoken by natives (both male and female versions for every word/phrase), and there’s the ability to slow it down for better comprehension.
You can also record yourself speaking Afrikaans and compare it to the native audio; in the speaking game, you’ll be able to test how well you’ve mastered pronunciation.
The course is available on both iOS and Android.
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We say: We’re big fans of uTalk’s app because of the wide range of languages it offers and the variety of games available to keep the learning process fun. Their Afrikaans course is like all of their other courses – well structured, easy to use, and will test all of your language skills, so you get a complete learning experience.
There are plenty of colorful pictures to aid with memorization, and the ability to hear both male and female pronunciations means that you’ll hear the nuances in speech, thereby making it easier for you to understand a more diverse range of speakers.
Our only complaint is that some of the topics and phrases aren’t relevant to Afrikaans, i.e. they wouldn’t be things you’d ask or say in South Africa. This is because uTalk uses the same topics for each language.
For a detailed look at how we used uTalk in our Kinyarwanda language challenge, check out our post, Can You Learn a Language in a Day? Challenge Accepted.
PRICE: Free introductory lesson. Full course works on a subscription model – $5.99 per month; $24.99 per 6 months; $34.99 per year. For access to all 140+ language courses, however, there’s the yearly $99.99 option.
Feed the Monster (Afrikaans) – by Curious Learning
This game is designed to help children learn to read in Afrikaans, and includes games and puzzles to promote phonics, letter recognition, vocabulary, and sight word reading. The app is free to download, with no ads or in-app purchases, and does not require an internet connection.
Feed The Monster was developed by experts in literacy education, and is based on years of research into the science of reading. The app is part of a larger effort to bring effective literacy content to children in 100+ languages around the world.
Only available on Android.
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We say: This is primarily for kids, and that shows in the simplicity of the game. You’ll learn the Afrikaans alphabet and how it’s pronounced, but that’s pretty much it. What we like about it is the design – it’s colorful, looks good and feels like a regular game you’d find on the app store.
Beginners will find this useful as it teaches them how to pronounce any new Afrikaans word they encounter, without having heard it spoken before.
PRICE: Free.
Can you learn Afrikaans on Duolingo?
Unfortunately, Duolingo has yet to add Afrikaans to its platform. It does have Dutch, however. Due to the 90%+ similarity in vocabulary and grammar between the two languages, you could essentially use Duolingo’s Dutch course to build the foundation for learning Afrikaans.
We don’t think that’s necessary, though. As we hope you’ve seen above, there are plenty of awesome alternatives to an Afrikaans Duolingo course, some of them much more effective.
Does Rosetta Stone have an Afrikaans course?
Sadly, there are no Rosetta Stone Afrikaans courses. But as with Duolingo, there is a Dutch course, which, as we noted earlier, can easily be adapted for learning Afrikaans.
