Phrase guide

South African

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌsaʊθˈaf.ɹɪ.kən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, from, or pertaining to South Africa, or the South African people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person from South Africa or of South African descent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

of or pertaining to or characteristic of South Africa or its people

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a native or inhabitant of South Africa

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: African

Narrower terms: Afrikaner, Afrikander, Boer

History

Etymology

From South Africa + -an.

Across languages

Translations

101 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: sudafricanu — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Asturian: surafricanu — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Belarusian: паўднёваафрыка́нскі (pawdnjovaafrykánski) — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Bengali: দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকীয় (dokkhin aphrikiẏo) — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Bulgarian: южноафрика́нски (južnoafrikánski) — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Catalan: sud-africà — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Czech: jihoafrický — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Danish: sydafrikansk — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaans — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Faroese: suðurafrikanskur — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Finnish: eteläafrikkalainen — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • French: sud-africain — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Galician: surafricano — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • German: südafrikanisch — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Hindi: दक्षिण अफ़्रीकी (dakṣiṇ afrīkī) — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Hungarian: dél-afrikai — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Icelandic: suðurafrískur — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Irish: Afracach Theas — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Italian: sudafricano — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Latvian: dienvidāfrikas — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Latvian: dienvidāfrikānis — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Macedonian: јужноафрикански (južnoafrikanski) — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sørafrikansk — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sørafrikansk — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Polish: południowoafrykański — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Portuguese: sul-africano — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Romanian: sud-african — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Russian: южноафрика́нский (južnoafrikánskij) — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Serbo-Croatian: јужноа̀фричкӣ — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Serbo-Croatian: јужноафрикански — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Serbo-Croatian: južnoàfričkī — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Serbo-Croatian: južnoafrikanski — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Slovak: juhoafrický — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Slovene: južnoafriški — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Spanish: sudafricano — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Swahili: Kiafrika Kusini — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Ukrainian: південноафрика́нський (pivdennoafrykánsʹkyj) — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Welsh: De-Affricanaidd — of, from, or pertaining to South Africa
  • Asturian: sudafricanu — person
  • Asturian: sudafricana — person
  • Asturian: surafricanu — person
  • Asturian: surafricana — person
  • Belarusian: паўднёваафрыка́нец (pawdnjovaafrykánjec) — person
  • Belarusian: паўднёваафрыка́нка (pawdnjovaafrykánka) — person
  • Bengali: দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকী (dokkhin aphriki) — person
  • Bulgarian: южноафрика́нец (južnoafrikánec) — person
  • Bulgarian: южноафрика́нка (južnoafrikánka) — person
  • Catalan: sud-africà — person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 南非人 (nánfēirén) — person
  • Czech: Jihoafričan — person
  • Czech: Jihoafričanka — person
  • Danish: sydafrikaner — person
  • Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaan — person
  • Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaanse — person
  • Faroese: suðurafrikanari — person
  • Faroese: suðurafrikani — person
  • Finnish: eteläafrikkalainen — person
  • French: Sud-Africain — person
  • French: Sud-Africaine — person
  • Galician: surafricano — person
  • German: Südafrikaner — person
  • German: Südafrikanerin — person
  • Hindi: दक्षिण अफ़्रीकी (dakṣiṇ afrīkī) — person
  • Hungarian: dél-afrikai — person
  • Icelandic: Suður-Afríkumaður — person
  • Irish: Afracach Theas — person
  • Italian: sudafricano — person
  • Italian: sudafricana — person
  • Japanese: 南アフリカ人 (minamiafurikajin) — person
  • Macedonian: Јужноафриканец (Južnoafrikanec) — person
  • Macedonian: Јужноафриканка (Južnoafrikanka) — person
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sørafrikaner — person
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sørafrikan — person
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sørafrikanar — person
  • Polish: Południowoafrykańczyk — person
  • Polish: Południowoafrykanka — person
  • Portuguese: sul-africano — person
  • Portuguese: sul-africana — person
  • Romanian: sud-african — person
  • Romanian: sud-africană — person
  • Romanian: sud-africancă — person
  • Russian: жи́тель ЮАР (žítelʹ JuAR) — person
  • Russian: жи́тельница ЮАР (žítelʹnica JuAR) — person
  • Russian: южноафрика́нец (južnoafrikánec) — person
  • Russian: южноафрика́нка (južnoafrikánka) — person
  • Serbo-Croatian: Јужноафриканац — person
  • Serbo-Croatian: Јужноафриканка — person
  • Serbo-Croatian: Južnoafrikanac — person
  • Serbo-Croatian: Južnoafrikanka — person
  • Slovak: Juhoafričan — person
  • Slovak: Juhoafričanka — person
  • Slovene: Južnoafričan — person
  • Slovene: Južnoafričanka — person
  • Spanish: sudafricano — person
  • Spanish: sudafricana — person
  • Swahili: Mwafrika Kusini — person
  • Swedish: sydafrikan — person
  • Swedish: sydafrikanska — person
  • Turkish: Güney Afrikalı — person
  • Ukrainian: південноафрика́нець (pivdennoafrykánecʹ) — person
  • Ukrainian: південноафрика́нка (pivdennoafrykánka) — person