Kom ons kraak dit.
An idiom (idioom, plural idiome) is a fixed expression whose meaning is different from its separate words. If someone says hy sit in die sop, he isn’t sitting in a bowl of soup. He’s in trouble.
Examiners love idioms because they show whether you really know Afrikaans or just translate it. They often turn up in language questions, and one well-placed idiom makes an essay or a speech sound natural. Here are 50 that FAL learners meet all the time.
How to learn idioms
Picture the image
Most idioms paint a funny picture. Imagine it, then link it to the meaning. Die kat uit die boom kyk (watch the cat from the tree): you wait and see what happens before you act.
Learn the whole expression
An idiom is fixed. You can change the verb’s tense and the pronoun, but not the other words. It’s die spyker op die kop slaan, never tref or druk. Learn the verb and the little words (in, op, uit, by) with it.
Make it yours
Write your own sentence about your own life for each idiom. A sentence about your sister, your team or your maths test sticks far better than one from a list.
Wenk!
Learn five idioms a day in themes (like the groups below), and test yourself by covering the meaning. In an essay, one or two idioms used correctly beat five forced ones.
50 Afrikaans idioms
People and character (mense en karakter)
nat agter die ore wees
Word for word: wet behind the ears
Meaning: Young and inexperienced.
Example: Die nuwe kaptein is nog nat agter die ore, maar hy leer vinnig.
hare op die tande hê
Word for word: have hair on your teeth
Meaning: Be assertive and not afraid to speak your mind.
Example: Moenie met my ouma stry nie; sy het hare op die tande.
’n wolf in skaapsklere
Word for word: a wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who seems kind or harmless but means harm.
Example: Hy lyk so vriendelik, maar hy is ’n wolf in skaapsklere.
dik vriende wees
Word for word: be thick friends
Meaning: Be very close friends.
Example: Lerato en ek is al sedert graad 1 dik vriende.
koue voete kry
Word for word: get cold feet
Meaning: Lose your nerve just before you have to do something.
Example: Ek wou haar na die matriekafskeid toe nooi, maar ek het koue voete gekry.
jou man staan
Word for word: stand your man
Meaning: Hold your own; cope well against strong opposition.
Example: Ons span is klein, maar ons het ons man teen die kampioene gestaan.
wit voetjie (by iemand) soek
Word for word: look for a white little foot (with someone)
Meaning: Try to get into someone’s good books.
Example: My boetie was die skottelgoed net omdat hy wit voetjie by Ma soek.
’n lang gesig trek
Word for word: pull a long face
Meaning: Look disappointed or unhappy.
Example: Toe die juffrou sê die uitstappie is afgelas, het almal ’n lang gesig getrek.
Work and effort (werk en moeite)
die hand aan die ploeg slaan
Word for word: put your hand to the plough
Meaning: Start working hard on a task.
Example: Eksamens begin oor twee weke, so ek moet nou die hand aan die ploeg slaan.
jou skouer aan die wiel sit
Word for word: put your shoulder to the wheel
Meaning: Make a real effort and work hard.
Example: As almal hul skouer aan die wiel sit, is die saal binne ’n uur versier.
bontstaan
Word for word: stand colourfully
Meaning: Work very hard and rush around to get something done.
Example: Ek moes gister bontstaan om my projek betyds klaar te kry.
die bul by die horings pak
Word for word: grab the bull by the horns
Meaning: Tackle a difficult problem head-on.
Example: Ek het die bul by die horings gepak en die onderwyser gevra om die werk weer te verduidelik.
die mas opkom
Word for word: climb up the mast
Meaning: Meet the standard; manage to cope.
Example: Die toets was moeilik, maar ek het die mas opgekom.
iets uit die mou skud
Word for word: shake something out of your sleeve
Meaning: Do something easily, without preparation.
Example: Sy het daardie toespraak net so uit die mou geskud.
’n gat in die dag slaap
Word for word: sleep a hole in the day
Meaning: Sleep very late.
Example: Saterdae slaap my broer altyd ’n gat in die dag.
iets op die lange baan skuif
Word for word: push something onto the long track
Meaning: Keep putting something off.
Example: Moenie jou opstel op die lange baan skuif nie; begin vandag.
alle hens aan dek
Word for word: all hands on deck
Meaning: Everyone must help.
Example: Die gaste kom om sewe, so dit is alle hens aan dek!
Trouble and problems (moeilikheid)
in die sop sit
Word for word: sit in the soup
Meaning: Be in trouble.
Example: As Pa sien ek het sy fiets geleen, sit ek in die sop.
in die pekel sit
Word for word: sit in the pickle brine
Meaning: Be in trouble or a difficult situation.
Example: Ek het my huiswerk vergeet en nou sit ek lelik in die pekel.
in die knyp sit
Word for word: sit in the pinch
Meaning: Be in a tight spot, often short of time or money.
Example: Ek sit in die knyp, want my taak is môre in en my rekenaar is stukkend.
tussen hamer en aambeeld
Word for word: between hammer and anvil
Meaning: Stuck between two bad options.
Example: My twee beste vriende baklei, en ek is tussen hamer en aambeeld.
met die hande in die hare sit
Word for word: sit with your hands in your hair
Meaning: Be at your wits’ end; not know what to do.
Example: Ek sit met die hande in die hare oor hierdie wiskundesom.
op heterdaad betrap
Meaning: Caught red-handed, in the act.
Example: My sussie is op heterdaad betrap met haar hand in die koekblik.
iemand in die steek laat
Word for word: leave someone in the stitch
Meaning: Let someone down when they need you.
Example: Ek het op jou staatgemaak en jy het my in die steek gelaat.
deur die mat val
Word for word: fall through the mat
Meaning: Fail or let people down when it counts.
Example: Ons doelwagter het in die eindstryd deur die mat geval.
die bobbejaan agter die bult gaan haal
Word for word: go and fetch the baboon behind the hill
Meaning: Worry about problems before they happen.
Example: Die uitslae is nog nie uit nie, so moenie die bobbejaan agter die bult gaan haal nie.
’n storm in ’n glas water
Word for word: a storm in a glass of water
Meaning: A big fuss about something unimportant.
Example: Die rusie oor wie voor sit, was net ’n storm in ’n glas water.
Money (geld)
geld soos bossies hê
Word for word: have money like bushes
Meaning: Be very rich.
Example: Sy ouers het geld soos bossies; hulle het drie motors.
elke sent twee keer omdraai
Word for word: turn every cent over twice
Meaning: Be very careful with money.
Example: Ek spaar vir ’n nuwe foon, so ek draai elke sent twee keer om.
botter by die vis
Word for word: butter with the fish
Meaning: Pay on the spot, in cash.
Example: By die kafee is dit botter by die vis; hulle gee nie krediet nie.
diep in die sak tas
Word for word: reach deep into your pocket
Meaning: Pay a lot of money.
Example: Ons moes diep in die sak tas vir die konsertkaartjies.
van die hand in die tand lewe
Word for word: live from the hand into the tooth
Meaning: Spend everything you earn on basic needs, with nothing left over.
Example: Met ’n klein salaris lewe baie mense van die hand in die tand.
’n kat in die sak koop
Word for word: buy a cat in the bag
Meaning: Buy something without checking it first, and get cheated.
Example: Die tweedehandse foon het stukkend aangekom. Ek het ’n kat in die sak gekoop.
Talking (praat)
met die deur in die huis val
Word for word: fall into the house with the door
Meaning: Get straight to the point, very bluntly.
Example: Om met die deur in die huis te val: ek wil nie meer in die koor sing nie.
van die os op die esel spring
Word for word: jump from the ox onto the donkey
Meaning: Jump from one topic to another without a link.
Example: Jou paragraaf spring van die os op die esel; hou by een onderwerp.
iemand ’n gat in die kop praat
Word for word: talk a hole into someone’s head
Meaning: Persuade someone to do something.
Example: My vriende het my ’n gat in die kop gepraat om saam te gaan kamp.
iemand na die mond praat
Word for word: talk to someone’s mouth
Meaning: Say only what someone wants to hear.
Example: Hy praat altyd die onderwysers na die mond.
jou mond verbypraat
Word for word: talk past your mouth
Meaning: Let a secret slip; say something you shouldn’t.
Example: Ek het my mond verbygepraat en die verrassingspartytjie verklap.
iets aan die groot klok hang
Word for word: hang something on the big bell
Meaning: Tell everyone something that should stay private.
Example: Ek vertel jou dit in vertroue, so moet dit asseblief nie aan die groot klok hang nie.
oor die tong gaan
Word for word: go over the tongue
Meaning: Be gossiped about.
Example: Sedert die partytjie gaan sy oor die tong by die skool.
die spyker op die kop slaan
Word for word: hit the nail on the head
Meaning: Say exactly the right thing.
Example: Jy het die spyker op die kop geslaan: die probleem is dat ons nie oefen nie.
Body parts (liggaamsdele)
’n oog in die seil hou
Word for word: keep an eye on the sail
Meaning: Keep watch over someone or something.
Example: Hou asseblief ’n oog in die seil oor my tas terwyl ek gaan koeldrank koop.
onder vier oë
Word for word: under four eyes
Meaning: In private, just the two of you.
Example: Die hoof wil onder vier oë met my praat.
iemand se kop was
Word for word: wash someone’s head
Meaning: Scold someone; tell them off.
Example: Ma het my kop gewas omdat ek so laat by die huis gekom het.
met lang tande eet
Word for word: eat with long teeth
Meaning: Eat slowly and unwillingly because you don’t like the food.
Example: Ek eet altyd met lang tande as daar kool op my bord is.
’n vinger in die pap hê
Word for word: have a finger in the porridge
Meaning: Have a say or be involved in something.
Example: Die leerderraad het ’n vinger in die pap oor die nuwe skooldrag.
op jou neus kyk
Word for word: look at your nose
Meaning: Be left disappointed and feeling foolish.
Example: Almal het kaartjies gekry, en ek het op my neus gekyk.
Animals (diere)
die kat uit die boom kyk
Word for word: watch the cat from the tree
Meaning: Wait to see how things turn out before you act.
Example: Ek gaan eers die kat uit die boom kyk voor ek vir die rol inskryf.
die hasepad kies
Word for word: choose the hare’s path
Meaning: Run away.
Example: Toe die hond begin blaf, het ons die hasepad gekies.
met die stert tussen die bene
Word for word: with the tail between the legs
Meaning: Ashamed and humiliated after a defeat.
Example: Na die 40–0-nederlaag het ons met die stert tussen die bene huis toe gegaan.
Common mistakes
Wrong: Ek gaan eers die bobbejaan uit die boom kyk.
Right: Ek gaan eers die kat uit die boom kyk.
Don’t mix up two idioms. The baboon is fetched from behind the hill (bobbejaan agter die bult); the cat is watched in the tree.
Wrong: Dit reën katte en honde.
Right: Dit reën ou vrouens met knopkieries.
English idioms don’t work word for word in Afrikaans. Afrikaans has its own picture for heavy rain.
Wrong: Hulle lewe van hand tot mond.
Right: Hulle lewe van die hand in die tand.
Another English translation trap: the Afrikaans idiom is about the hand and the tooth, not the mouth.
Wrong: Jy het die spyker op die kop getref.
Right: Jy het die spyker op die kop geslaan.
Idioms are fixed. Swap one word and it’s no longer the idiom, so learn the exact verb.
Practice
Complete the idiom with the missing word, or give its meaning in English.
- Hy skuif sy huiswerk altyd op die lange …….
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baan
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- Ek het die geheim verklap; ek het my …… verbygepraat.
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mond
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- Toe die alarm afgaan, het die diewe die …… gekies.
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hasepad
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- Sy het die bul by die …… gepak en die probleem dadelik opgelos.
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horings
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- Moenie die bobbejaan agter die …… gaan haal nie.
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bult
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- Ek haat pampoen, so ek eet met lang …….
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tande
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- What does nat agter die ore wees mean?
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Young and inexperienced.
Probeer weer! Check the rules above, cover the answer and have another go.
- What does botter by die vis mean?
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Pay on the spot, in cash.
Probeer weer! Check the rules above, cover the answer and have another go.
- What does iemand in die steek laat mean?
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To let someone down when they need you.
Probeer weer! Check the rules above, cover the answer and have another go.
- What does ’n storm in ’n glas water mean?
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A big fuss about something unimportant.
Probeer weer! Check the rules above, cover the answer and have another go.
Klaar! Lekker gewerk.
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