piesang
/ˈpi.saŋ/
The Afrikaans word for banana is piesang.
piesang refers to the common tropical fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. In IPA, it is pronounced /ˈpi.saŋ/.
Did you know?
- In South African slang, calling someone a piesang can be a stinging insult, implying the person is foolish or a 'dummy'.
- Afrikaans incorporates many words from Malay because of the history of enslaved people and political exiles from Indonesia who settled in the Cape.
- Because Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch, the word piesang differs from the standard Dutch word banaan.
Examples in context
- 'n Groen piesang is nie ryp genoeg om te eet nie.A green banana is not ripe enough to eat.This sentence is useful for describing the ripeness of a piesang.Tatoeba #3435572 by siener, translation #271983 by BraveSentry
- Ek wil graag 'n piesang koop.I would like to buy a banana.
- Ek het 'n lekker vars piesang geëet.I ate a delicious fresh banana.
- Kan jy vir my asseblief 'n paar banane koop?Can you please buy me some bananas?
- Ek wil graag 'n piesang eet.I would like to eat a banana.
- Die piesang is baie soet.The banana is very sweet.
Example conversation
Stefan and Marelize are preparing a snack in the kitchen.
- StefanMarelize, is daar nog 'n piesang?Marelize, is there another banana?
- MarelizeJa, Stefan, kyk in die bak.Yes, Stefan, look in the bowl.
- StefanEk sien hom, dankie!I see it, thank you!
- MarelizeGeniet jou piesang.Enjoy your banana.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “banana” translations and entries piesang, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
