dom
The English word stupid is translated into Afrikaans as dom.
dom is used to describe someone or something lacking in intelligence. While it primarily refers to a lack of intellect, it is often used colloquially to describe a foolish action or a mistake, similar to how it is used in English.
Meaning: lacking in intelligence (adj)
Which one should you use?
dom refers specifically to a lack of intelligence. Other terms may be more appropriate depending on the exact nuance: onverstandig describes something unwise or imprudent, while dwaas is used to describe someone as foolish or silly.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term stomp is an informal term specifically used in South African Afrikaans to mean dull, dim or stupid.
Did you know?
- The word dom is a cognate of the German 'dumm', showing the shared West Germanic heritage of the concept of stupidity.
- Afrikaans speakers sometimes use dom as an intensifier in slang, similar to how 'stupidly' is used in English to mean 'extremely'.
- The Afrikaans word dom is a cognate of the English word 'dumb', but it lacks the connotation of being unable to speak.
Examples in context
- Tom sou nie so dom wees nie.Tom wouldn't be that stupid.This sentence shows how to use dom to describe a person's potential state.Tatoeba #2784105 by Diablofire, translation #2543314 by CK
- Belowe my net jy sal nie iets doms aanvang nie.Just promise me that you won't do anything stupid.This sentence demonstrates the use of doms to describe a foolish action.Tatoeba #13941050 by Pietpetoors, translation #2711892 by CK
- Jy is dom.You are stupid.This sentence shows a direct way to use dom to describe a person.Tatoeba #7986720 by SadeceTurkce, translation #69480 by CM
- Dit was 'n onverstandige besluit om sonder 'n kaart te ry.It was an unwise decision to drive without a map.
- Sy voel erg dwaas nadat sy die dom opmerking gemaak het.She feels really foolish after making the stupid remark.
- Sy het 'n mal idee gehad om in die reën te gaan stap.She had a stupid idea to go for a walk in the rain.
- Hy is so 'n domkop dat hy nie eens eenvoudige somme kan oplos nie.He is such a stupid head that he can't even solve simple math problems.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Liezel and Pieter are discussing a bad decision made by a friend.
- LiezelHet jy gesien wat hy gedoen het?Did you see what he did?
- PieterJa, dit was regtig baie dom.Yes, that was really very stupid.
- LiezelHoekom is hy so dom?Why is he so stupid?
- PieterEk weet nie, hy dink nie na nie.I don't know, he doesn't think.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
