hoe
/ɦu/
The English word 'how' is translated into Afrikaans as hoe.
hoe is used to mean in what manner.
Meaning: in what manner (adv)
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦu/
Did you know?
- In some regions of South Africa, saying hoe with a specific rising intonation can function as a sharp interjection of shock, similar to 'what' in English rather than asking 'how'.
- When asking 'How are you?' in Afrikaans, you use Hoe gaan dit?, which literally translates to 'How goes it?'
- While hoe means 'how', the phrase hoe so is often used as a standalone question to mean 'how come' or 'why is that'. It asks for a logical explanation rather than a method.
Examples in context
- Hoe kan dit wees?How could it be?This example shows how to use hoe to ask about a possibility.Tatoeba #2364467 by siener, translation #1931911 by Spamster
- Hoe was u verblyf?How was your stay?This example shows how to use hoe to ask about the quality of a stay.Tatoeba #6007365 by CJuser01, translation #275338 by CK
- Hoe voel jy oor hom?How do you feel about him?This example shows how to use hoe to ask about feelings.Tatoeba #6456417 by Dewald, translation #3920967 by CH
- Hoe gaan dit met jou?How are you?
- Hoe voel jy vandag?How are you feeling today?
- Hoe gaan dit, my bra?How are you, my friend?
- Hoe lyk jy vanaand?How do you look tonight?
- 74 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Pieter and Nicola are discussing how to fix a broken chair.
- PieterHoe gaan ons die stoel regmaak?How are we going to fix the chair?
- NicolaOns moet dit met gom vasmaak.We must glue it together.
- PieterSal dit sterk genoeg wees?Will it be strong enough?
- NicolaJa, dit sal werk.Yes, it will work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how” translations and entries hoe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
