swart
/swɑrt/
swart is the Afrikaans word for black.
swart is used as an adjective to describe something that is absorbing all light. It can also function as a noun to refer to the color black itself or to a dye or pigment.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/swɑrt/
When do people say it?
If you want to describe a particularly dark or intense black color in an informal way, you can use the phrase Bloedswart, which literally translates to 'blood black'.
Did you know?
- In South African culture, the term swart has historically been used as a noun to refer to people of African descent, though this is now often considered offensive.
- In many Afrikaans idiomatic expressions, being swart is not always about color but can describe a person's mood as being 'gloomy' or 'morose'.
- The word swart shares a common ancestor with the English word 'swarthy', which is used to describe dark or dusky skin.
Examples in context
- Die swart boks is nie regtig swart nie.The black box is not actually black.This sentence shows how to negate the color using swart.Tatoeba #13368834 by Pietpetoors, translation #4959321 by adamtrousers
- My perd is swart.My horse is black.This sentence uses swart to describe the color of an animal.Tatoeba #2703250 by catcher, translation #2703249 by catcher
- Alles het swart geword.Everything went black.This sentence uses swart to describe a change in state or perception.Tatoeba #7986644 by SadeceTurkce, translation #321552 by CK
Example conversation
Johan and Anika are looking at clothes in a shop.
- JohanIs hierdie swart hemp vir my?Is this black shirt for me?
- AnikaJa, die swart een pas jou goed.Yes, the black one suits you well.
- JohanDankie, ek hou van die kleur.Thanks, I like the color.
- AnikaDit lyk baie elegant op jou.It looks very elegant on you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries swart, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries swart, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
