Afrikaans words nobody learned at schoolAfrikaans has some interesting words, which nobody might have learned at school. What about koeksisters' and pantoffels'?
by Francois Jansen
15-05-2024 20:16
in Culture
Cinnamon doughnuts: Delicious bites. Image: Asande Mpila
Afrikaans is an interesting language, and it's one of South Africa's 12 official languages.
--
However, there are some words nobody learned at school.
What about a koeksister'?
Likewise, what is spookasem'?
--
Here are some fun words from the language.
Afrikaans words that nobody learned at school There are some Afrikaans words that nobody learned at school.
However, it's never too late to learn something.
--
The South African put together this list of interesting, weird words and their meanings.
More language learning The South African covered some literal Afrikaans words in this 2019 article.
However, there are still some interesting words that you should know.
Have you ever heard about a vloermoer', and have you ever eaten a koeksister'?
Have fun with some of these weird Afrikaans words.
Afrikaans: Vloermoer The word vloermoer' means floor-whacking' and literally means that someone is having a tantrum.
It's a strange word without a true, literal, direct translation into another language.
Also, you'll know it when you see it!
Afrikaans: Koeksister Koeksister' is a strange Afrikaans word referring to a fried and braided dough-based dessert.
It means cake sister' when translated.
They're delicious. But you can't eat too many of them in a row!
There's no sugar-free version of this dessert It's mostly sugar and dipped in sugar, but it's also great to eat.
However, there's also the koe'sister, which is a traditional Cape Malay dessert instead.
Afrikaans: Spookasem According to Oxford Dictionaries, candy floss is made from melted sugar and served on a stick'.
However, you can also buy spookasem' in containers.
It's an odd name that translates into ghost breath.
Ghost breath' because candy floss disappears under the tongue. However, not everyone knows this word for it!
Afrikaans: Pantoffel Pantoffel' is an older word for a slipper.
However, the word actually comes from German.
French calls it a pantoufle', however its meaning stays the same.
Afrikaans absorbed the word from another language, technically making this funny-sounding one a loan word.
Afrikaans: Oliebol An 'oliebol' is the Afrikaans word for a doughnut.
According to Oxford Dictionaries, it's a small cake made from fried dough',
However, the Afrikaans word translates to mean that it's an oil ball!
The word can be spelled as doughnut' or donut', though doughnut' is more likely in South Africa.
Have you tried an oliebol' with coffee?
Tell us your thoughts Tell us what you think about this story! What's your favourite word in one of South Africa's official languages? Let us know your word choices. However, keep it polite! You can reach The South African's team at info@thesouthafrican.com.
Looking to buy a good quality pre-owned vehicle, CLICK HERE!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
07/01/2026
SVG Summit 2025: All General Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYThe SVG Summit celebrated its 20th edition with a loaded agendaBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
07/01/2026
NBCU's Brings Rinkside Live' and Courtside Live' Features to Peaco...
07/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
07/01/2026
We know people use Spotify not just to listen, but to share the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks they love with their friends and family. When we launched Messag...
07/01/2026
This week, all eyes are on the podcast industry as the Golden Globes recognizes ...
07/01/2026
Podcasts are stepping onto a new stage this week as the Golden Globes recognize the medium for the first time. To mark this milestone moment, we're hosting ...
07/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in collaboration with a distributor, is commissioning new micro-budget fiction feature films and invites eligible...
07/01/2026
NASA's Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at ...
07/01/2026
For the first time ever, new C' variants allow international users to interoperate with U.S. personnel via NSA-certified cryptography....
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Abu Dhabi, UAE 7, January 2026 - Abu Dhabi Police and Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), ...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
The Trailer of Paparazzi King: The 5-Episode Docuseries Coming...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Supports Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Commitment...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
What Next? Netflix Reveals Series, Films and Games Coming in 2026
Entertainment
07 January 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download ...
07/01/2026
AI has transformed retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) operations, enhancin...
06/01/2026
Peacock Bringing Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to Live Sports ContentPeacock is the first streamer to embrace Dolbys full suite of advanced picture/sound innovat...
06/01/2026
SVG Europe Audio: Listening to the sounds of powder and ice at Milano Cortina wi...
06/01/2026
Quintar Meta Spatial SDK Integration Promises Next-Level XR ExperiencesBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - 9:41 am
Print This...
06/01/2026
Milano Cortina 2026: BBC Sport Previews Broadcast Ops, Studio Setup, Social Medi...
06/01/2026
Dolby's Jason Power on Elevating Live Sports Through Immersive Audio and HDR...
06/01/2026
DAZN's Global CRO Walker Jacobs on the Streamer's Breakout Year in the U...
06/01/2026
California Dreamin': LA28's SVP of Media Jim Bell Previews the Olympic a...
06/01/2026
One Month Out From Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, NBC Sports in Final Prep fo...
06/01/2026
Advanced HDR by Technicolor and Zinwell Integrated onto ATSC 3.0 Conversion Boxe...
06/01/2026
Fox Sports President and COO Mark Silverman Shifts to Consulting RoleBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - 2:37 pm
Print This S...
06/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
06/01/2026
Lorde. A$AP Rocky. JENNIE. Baby Keem. KATSEYE. That's just a taste of who...
06/01/2026
In a live broadcast, L3Harris CFO and Missile Solutions President Ken Bedingfield joined Morgan Brennan on CNBCs Closing Bell: Overtime. Bedingfield discussed...
06/01/2026
First-of-its-kind SSP capability delivers program-level insight and brand suitab...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
Afrikaans words nobody learned at schoolAfrikaans has some interesting words, which nobody might have learned at school. What about koeksisters' and pantoffels'?
