vark
/fark/
The English word 'pig' is translated into Afrikaans as vark.
vark refers to the mammal of the family Suidae.
Meaning: mammal of family Suidae (noun)
Which one should you use?
varkie is an informal and affectionate way of saying pig.
How do you pronounce it?
/fark/
Did you know?
- The word vark is an example of a 'back-formation', where speakers mistakenly treated the original singular Dutch word varken as a plural and chopped off the ending to find a new singular.
- In many English-speaking contexts, calling someone a 'pig' is a pure insult, but in Afrikaans, calling a messy child a varkie can be a term of endearment.
- The word vark shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'farrow' meaning a pig's litter. Both descend from the Proto-Germanic root *farhaz, showing a linguistic link between the name of the animal and its offspring.
Examples in context
- My vark het geen stert nie.My pig has no tail.This sentence is useful for describing a pig that has no tail.Tatoeba #12492103 by Tom9358, translation #12492102 by Tom9358
- My vark het nie 'n stert nie.My pig doesn't have a tail.This sentence is useful for stating that a pig doesn't have a tail.Tatoeba #12492108 by Tom9358, translation #12492101 by Tom9358
- Ek het 'n vark gesien.I saw a pig.
- Die boer het baie varke op sy plaas.The farmer has many pigs on his farm.
- Dis die skattigste varkie wat ek nog gesien het.It's the cutest pig I've ever seen.
- Die klein vark is baie oulik.The little pig is very cute.
Example conversation
Johan and Anika are looking at animals on a farm.
- JohanKyk daar is 'n vark in die modder.Look, there is a pig in the mud.
- AnikaJa, sy is baie groot.Yes, she is very big.
- JohanWil jy die vark voer?Do you want to feed the pig?
- AnikaNee, ek is bang sy byt.No, I am afraid she will bite.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pig” translations and entries vark, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vark, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
