# Afrikaans: bemin vs. liefde



## prtzllife

*Moved from the Dutch Forum ("The scope of this forum is the Dutch language (Nederlands)...)*
*Frank (Moderator DF)*

I know this isn't an Afrikaans forum, but given the two's relation I thought I'd ask here (and it is an "other" Germanic language, but certainly not Nordic, so...)
I was wondering what the difference between bemin and liefde is. Truth be told I don't know anything about bemin other than it has something to do with love. Anyway, thanks if you can help.


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## theo1006

Hi prtzllife,

If it were Dutch I would say:

_liefde_ is the noun: He has much love for her

_bemin_ is the first person singular present form of the verb _beminnen: Ik bemin je_ = I love you.
In Dutch _beminnen_ sounds rather oldfashioned, the common phrase is: _Ik hou van je_.  But maybe _beminnen_ is current in Afrikaans.

I hope this is of any help.

Theo


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## prtzllife

Thanks Theo! It's a start


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## Dino-Fly

Well, you are lucky, I joined today, I live in South Africa and my home language(native) is  Afrikaans.

Bemin:_
Hy is 'n beminde vriend _(Meaning: He is a beloved friend)

BUT

Liefde: Is used like:

_Vir die liefde van die spel _(Meaning: For the love of the game)

It's very difficult to explain, I don't really know how to explain, I sound like a idiot, but you sort of just know when to use it when you speak it well.

I hope I helped, I will try again if you request.

Btw, I can't help but wonder why you want to know something about a language spoken in South Africa if you live quite far from it.


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## Arrius

Afrikaans has lost a lot of its endings and sometimes a bit has dropped out of the middle so _om te bemin_ is the infinitive not _beminnen_. _Minne_ was the word used in the Middle Ages for courtly love and all that entailed so the word is of a slightly higher register than om _lief te hê_ (to love) with which _liefde_, the noun _love_, is connected.
I feel sorry that you were kicked out of the Dutch forum, as Afrikaans is so similar to Dutch (and to the ears of this_ rooinek_ sounds better than Dutch). All the three Scandinavian languages plus Icelandic nestle up cosily together and maybe(I'm not sure) sometimes include Finnish which is as different from the rest as Basque would be.  On an Afrikaans cultural site I sometimes visit, there are very frequently passages written in Dutch which causes no educated Afrikaner to bat an eyelid. Dutch was together with English the official language of the Union until 1924, I think.


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## Dino-Fly

Arrius said:


> I feel sorry that you were kicked out of the Dutch forum, as Afrikaans is so similar to Dutch (and to the ears of this_ rooinek_ sounds better than Dutch).



I don't quite know why you said rooinek...


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## Arrius

Ek bedoel, dat ek slegs 'n Engelsman is, wie Suidafrika slegs vir 'n baie kort tydperk besoek het en nooit nie woonagtig in daardie land was nie. Groetend, Arrius


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## Dino-Fly

Arrius said:


> Ek bedoel, dat ek slegs 'n Engelsman is, wie Suidafrika slegs vir 'n baie kort tydperk besoek het en nooit nie woonagtig in daardie land was nie. Groetend, Arrius




Cool, ek weet nie hoe lank jy het in SA gebly nie, maar jou afrikaans is redelik goed, so, vir hoe lank het jy hier gebly?

In enigeval, jy moenie sê dat jy 'n rooinek of 'n soutie is nie, want dit is nie 'n baie vriendelike manier om te sê waarvan kom jy of watter taal praat jy.

PS, ek moet 'n woordeboek koop, my speling suck.


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## Arrius

Ek het twee keer in jou land gewees, vir 'n totaal van slegs een maand, maar die taal is nie moelik vir my nie, want ek praat vlot duits en het drie jaare in die nabyheid van die nederlandse grens gewoon. As jy iets oor my of 'n ander persoon wil wet, klik net op sy naam en daarna op_ Profile_. Terloops, *welkom tot ons forum, Dino-fly! *Waarskuwing: dis verboden om hier te gesels soos ons dit nou besig is om te doen, wat teknies in 'n privaatboodskap sou gebeur.
Tot siens, Arrius


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## Dino-Fly

OK, so ons moet hou op, nê? 
Ja, Duits en Nederlandse is baie naby Afrikaans(net Afrikaans is baie makliker).


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