“Why Call It a Kokorot?”: Afrikaans Words Have Mzansi Laughing as Comic Language Lesson Goes Viral

• Hilarious Afrikaans translations left social media users laughing nonstop as a comic language lesson turns everyday words into entertainment
• The Instagram clip sparked comedy as viewers reacted to dramatic Afrikaans terms that sound far more intense than expected
• Entertaining language breakdown proved that humour remains one of South Africa’s strongest cultural connectors

South Africans were left in stitches after an Afrikaner man posted a hilarious Instagram video breaking down Afrikaans words that sound far more dramatic than they actually are.

The clip, filmed and shared by user @faf.fits_ on 5 December 2025, gained traction online, sparking laughter across Instagram.

The video was captured inside a bar with liquor bottles stacked at the back. The man delivering what many dubbed a “comic Afrikaans class”. His breakdown of everyday English words translated into Afrikaans left viewers amused and entertained, as they sounded more intense that expected.

The man set the tone by introducing the first word: “Drag queen”, which translates to “Fopdosser” in Afrikaans. He admitted that it sounded far more intense than expected. He then escalated the humour by revealing that a “clown” is known as a “Hanswors.”

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The lesson continued with “mashed potatoes”, translated as “Kapokaartaples”, a mouthful that left many stunned and laughing at the same time. The man jokingly questioned the logic behind some translations, adding to the clip's comedic appeal.

The humour lights up Instagram feeds

In the video, @faf.fits_ continued to raise the stakes by sharing that a “platypus” is called an “Eendbrkdier”, which literally means “duck-mouth-animal”. His reaction turned the moment into a highlight, as he laughed at the blunt literalness of the translation.

Things took another entertaining turn when he introduced the Afrikaans word for peanut butter, which translates to “grondboontjiebotter”. Just when it seemed the list could not get more intense, he revealed that a cockroach is called a “kokorot”, a word many said sounded straight out of a horror movie.

Watch the Instagram video HERE:

Mzansi weighs in on the hilarious language lesson

Instagram users flooded the comments section with jokes and more intense Afrikaans words that the man didn’t mention, and also shared their own favourites.

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bronwilallister said:

“😂Sometimes I wonder why Afrikaans sounds like I'm doing a spell because when I'm in full Afrikaans-speaking mode, the words that flow should be lifting furniture.😂”

elisedup76 commented:

“Thunder is called donderweer, lightning bliksem strale.😂🤣”

@tabekker noted:

“I'm Afrikaans and I can't stop laughing.🤣😂”

@1st_of.his.name_7 said:

“‘What is a Kokorot? It sounds like someone mispronouncing Goku's Saiyan name.💀😂”

@Chilvia_x wrote:

“‘😂Kokorot’ will be going double diamond in 2026, it will be a perfect way to describe my colleagues and not get fired.😂”

More Afrikaans-related articles on Briefly News

• Briefly News previously reported that a viral social media video of an Afrikaans hit song captured a spontaneous moment that quickly grabbed the attention of online users.
• An Afrikaner man living abroad gained massive attention after asking the public to help him choose a meaningful African name to pair with his surname.
• Ronn Moss, best known for his former role as Ridge Forrester in The Bold and the Beautiful, had a South African internet user thinking he was speaking Afrikaans while promoting a new show.

Source: Briefly News