Assimilation
All languages have some form of assimilation. That is when you take a hot iron and smooth out those sound wrinkles to make the speech flow like a pro. For natives this works well, but for the untrained ear, this is overwhelming, since you expect everything to be produced as it is written. Here are some helps.
Written Assimilation
| dis < dit is it's moenie < moet nie don't daai < daardie that | Moenie daai boek(e) vat nie, dis myne. Don't take that (those) book(s), it's (they're) mine. |
| g'n < geen no | Ek het g'n tyd vir daai man nie. I have no time for that man. |
| aan't < aan die busy + verb rêrig < regtig or rêrig really | Ek hoor Jan is rêrig aan't sterwe. I hear Jan is really busy dying. |
Spoken Assimmilation
Your acquaintance with assimilation in Afrikaans will help you understand normal spoken Afrikaans. It is not a must to pronounce your sentences in the assimilated form.
| ommie < om die around the innie < in die in the hoekomie < hoekom nie why not | Loop ommie hoek en kyk innie asblik. Walk around the corner and look in the trash can. |
| isit? < is dit? really gistraand < gister aand last night nes < net soos just like | Daai man gistraand het nes my pa gelyk. That man last night looked just like my dad. |
| aan't < aan die busy + verb rêrig < regtig or rêrig really | Ek hoor Jan is rêrig aan't sterwe. I hear Jan is really busy dying. |
| Dis nie dat ek nie kan nie, Dis'ie darek'ie kannie, | Dinge word nie so gedoen nie. Dinge wort'ie so gedoen nie. |
| Ek wil nie weet nie. Ek wil'ie weet'ie. | Ek kan nie om die punt praat nie. Ek kannie om 'ie punt praat 'ie, |
| Maar ek wil nie mense om die bos lei nie. maarek wil'ie die mense om'ie bos lei nie. | Dis nie my saak nie. Dis'ie my saak'ie. |
| Of ek nou wil of nie, Of ek nou wil of 'ie. | dis dié punt wat die mense pla. dis'ie punt war 'ie mense pla. |
| Jy kan maar praat. Jy kamma praat, | Jy kan maar praat. Jy kamma praat, |
| gaan g'n saak maak nie. gaan g'n saak maak 'ie, | Waaheen ons nou okal hiemee gaan |