# Afrikaans: I need to ask you a few questions.



## Masood

Hi

I'd like to be able to say the following in Afrikaans:

*I need to ask you a few questions.*

I know the word for 'question' is vraag ("fraakh"), or something.

Please could you provide an English transliteration to aid pronuncation.

Thanks.


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## jfm

Since nobody else is answering you, I'll give it a try:

*Ek moet u 'n paar vrae vra* = lit. I must/need you a pair questions ask
ech(o) maught y en(d) par(k) fraa-e(nd) fraa

Don't pronounce the parts in parentheses. The "y" sound is the same as German "u" with a diaresis, or the "u" sound in French "Lune".

Hopefully that's correct.


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## Masood

Thank you, jfm, for your help.


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## User1001

*Ek het 'n paar vrae, wat ek jy moet stel.*
_I have a few questions that I need to ask you._


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## loxi123

hi there. 

i dont quite understand your question but where you have written "(or something)" after the word vraag.... in afrikaans the "g's" are pronounced in the back of your throat and makes quite a funny and disgusting sound if you would do it without speaking lol. if you understand that. i hope so. afrikaans is an ace language. i love it. 

its like with the back of throat thing, how are you in afrikaans is hoe (hu) gaan (gan) dit (dit) met (met) jou (ur), and with this u have to sort of say hoe really fast in order that you can start your back of throat 'g' sound. lol. im trying to help but its hard to write down the sound lol. 

loxi


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## Khalo

*I need to ask you a few questions
*_Ek moet jou 'n paar vrae vra._
The translation of need to _moet_ sounds very urgent and if you translate that Afrikaans sentence back to English it will probably be:
*I must ask you a few questions. *

So I suggest:
_Ek wil jou 'n paar vrae vra._

Ek - Ak           (where 'a' is the same as in *a*pple.)
wil - vil           (where 'i' is the neutral [ə] sound; like *o* in p*o*lice)
jou - yo          (as in, yo, yo, yo, what's up)
'n - [ə]           (neutral sound)
paar - par      (a as in d*a*nce (BrE) & the r is the rolling r)
vrae - fra / ə   (2 syllables - a as in d*a*nce (BrE) & the r is the rolling r)
vra - fra          (a as in d*a*nce (BrE) & the r is the rolling r)

Hope this is not too confusing and, yes, the Afrikaans for question is *vraag *(singular) and *vrae* (plural).
And the *g* in vraa*g* is quite a disgusting sound, as loxi123 said. It's almost like the German *ch*, but in the back of your throat, like when you clear your throat.


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