leeu
The Afrikaans word for lion is leeu.
The word leeu refers to the big cat *Panthera leo*.
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural-lions, use leeus.
Did you know?
- While leeu refers to the animal, a 'lion's share' is translated as die grootste deel, meaning 'the biggest part'. Afrikaans often prefers the literal description over the animal metaphor for this specific phrase.
- The word leeu shares a root with the English word 'lion', though they diverged centuries ago. Both can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word λέων.
- In Afrikaans, the phrase die leeu is die koning van die diere means 'the lion is the king of the animals'. This is the standard way to express the 'king of the jungle' idiom, since lions do not actually live in jungles.
Examples in context
- Die leeu is die koning van die wilde diere.The lion is the king of the wild animals.
- Daar's 'n mooi leeutjie in die dieretuin.There's a beautiful little lion in the zoo.
- Die leeu is baie groot.The lion is very big.
- Ek het 'n leeu in die dieretuin gesien.I saw a lion at the zoo.
- Die leeu brul hard in die nag.The lion roars loudly at night.
Example conversation
Pieter and Anika are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- PieterKyk hoe hard brul daardie leeu!Look how loudly that lion roars!
- AnikaJa, hy is 'n baie sterk dier.Yes, he is a very strong animal.
- PieterEk is bang vir die leeu.I am afraid of the lion.
- AnikaMoenie bekommerd wees nie, Pieter.Don't worry, Pieter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries leeu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries leeu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
