“Lekker”: American Woman Shares Her 3 Favourite Afrikaans Words, Internet Swoons Over SA Husband

“Lekker”: American Woman Shares Her 3 Favourite Afrikaans Words, Internet Swoons Over SA Husband

  • An American woman married to a South African man charmed viewers by sharing her three favourite Afrikaans words after learning the language for five years
  • The couple's sweet video showed how "lekker," "babalaas," and "kuier" have become part of her vocabulary
  • Comments flooded in with viewers praising her Afrikaans skills, but many were completely charmed by her handsome South African husband
A video went viral.
An American woman shared a clip showing her three favourite Afrikaans words. Images: @hannah.swanepoel4
Source: TikTok

An American woman has melted hearts across social media after sharing her journey of learning Afrikaans from her South African husband.

Content creator @hannah.swanepoel4 posted a charming video on 27 August 2025 that quickly went viral with over 28,800 reactions and 600 comments.

In the video, the couple sits outside their American home as she explains her top three Afrikaans words. She starts with "lekker," which her husband describes as a word used for many things - from enjoying a good meal to describing joy and pleasure. Next comes "babalaas," the perfect word for a hangover, and finally "kuier," which means hanging out with friends, usually involving a braai around warm coals.

Read also

Soweto gogo shows her youthful dancing to R. Kelly's song, entertains South Africa: "Retired baddie"

What impressed viewers most was how naturally she pronounced each word, sounding almost like a native speaker after just five years of learning. Her husband proudly explained each term while she demonstrated proper usage, showing the beautiful way couples can share their cultures with each other. The video perfectly captured how language learning becomes a love language when you're married to someone from another culture.

A couple went viral.
A couple went viral on TikTok after an American woman shared a clip showing her favourite Afrikaans words and how to use them. Images: @hannah.swanepoel4
Source: TikTok

Internet swoons over SA husband's charm

Comments revealed that many viewers were completely smitten with the South African gentleman, praising his patient teaching style and charming personality. Several women jokingly expressed their desire to find their own South African partner, showing how the video sparked interest in cross-cultural relationships.

@isabel_de_bruyn gushed:

"Our South African men are just so fine 😂👏"

@josh commented:

"She sounds more Afrikaans than me."

@katie_sandiego joked:

"I'd like to order one South African significant other, please."

@kk asked playfully:

"Does he have a brother🤣🤣🤣?"

Read also

"Small girl big God": Manzini woman gives back to parents, spends R60k on dream kitchen renovation

@jilly_mcg was impressed:

"I'm impressed with your pronunciation and 'begrip' of the Afrikaans language."

@tacos_margs wrote:

"Me booking a flight to South Africa 🤣"

@realtor_gladysflores declared:

"Ladies, we're going to Africa."

@lynettedeb_123 agreed with their explanation:

"Braai is baie better than a barbeque!"

Learning new languages takes time and dedication

According to an expert on Medium, becoming fluent in a new language is a lifelong journey that requires consistency rather than speed. Research shows that adults can actually learn grammar and vocabulary more efficiently than children due to their developed thinking skills.

The Foreign Service Institute estimates it takes 575-600 hours for easier languages and up to 2,200 hours for more complex ones like Korean or Arabic. The key is daily practice, focusing on common vocabulary, and embracing mistakes as learning opportunities.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Other America-related stories

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Nerissa Naidoo avatar

Nerissa Naidoo (Human Interest Editor) Nerissa Naidoo is a writer and editor with seven years of experience. Currently, she is a human interest writer at Briefly News and joined the publication in 2024. She began her career contributing to Morning Lazziness and later joined Featherpen.org. As a TUW ghostwriter, she focused on non-fiction, while her editorial roles at National Today and Entail.ai honed her skills in content accuracy and expert-driven editing. You can reach her at nerissa.naidoo@briefly.co.za

Tags:
USA