Getting around in Afrikaans pulls together two small grammar habits that English speakers have to consciously rewire: the postposition toe for "to a place" (it goes after the destination, not before it), and the met-instrumental for transport ("by train" = met die trein). This page gives you the working phrases — saying you're on your way, naming how you're travelling, asking the way, following directions, and wishing someone a safe trip — and drills both habits naturally as it goes. (For the full story on the directional, see direction with toe; for the na vs toe split, see na vs toe.)
On your way: op pad and ... toe
To say you're on your way somewhere, Afrikaans uses op pad ("on the road / en route"). To say where you're going, you tack toe onto the end of the destination: werk toe (to work), dorp toe (to town), huis toe (home). This is the habit to burn in: the little word comes after the place.
Ek is op pad werk toe.
I'm on my way to work.
Ons gaan môre see toe.
We're going to the sea tomorrow.
Hulle is dorp toe om inkopies te doen.
They've gone to town to do some shopping.
Sy ry skool toe — sy't die kinders gaan haal.
She's driving to the school — she's gone to fetch the kids.
Note the order in your head as destination + toe: werk toe, see toe, dorp toe, skool toe. English wants to put "to" in front; Afrikaans puts toe behind. This is one of the most distinctive things about Afrikaans movement, and travel talk is saturated with it, so you'll get plenty of practice fast.
How you're travelling: met die ...
To name your means of transport, use met ("with / by") plus the definite article: met die trein (by train), met die bus (by bus), met die vliegtuig (by plane), met die kar (by car). English drops the article ("by train"); Afrikaans keeps it (met *die trein*).
Ons ry met die trein Kaap toe.
We're going to Cape Town by train.
Hy kom met die vliegtuig — sy vlug land om sewe.
He's coming by plane — his flight lands at seven.
Dis vinniger met die bus as met die kar in die spitstyd.
It's faster by bus than by car in rush hour.
One nice irregularity: for going on foot, Afrikaans uses te voet (a fixed, slightly old-fashioned phrase) — or far more commonly people just say ek loop ("I'll walk").
Dis naby — kom ons loop sommer.
It's close — let's just walk.
Buying a ticket: 'n kaartjie koop
A ticket is 'n kaartjie, and you buy one with koop. A few set phrases:
Ek wil twee kaartjies Pretoria toe koop, asseblief.
I'd like to buy two tickets to Pretoria, please.
Hoeveel kos 'n kaartjie enkel?
How much does a one-way ticket cost?
Is dit 'n retoerkaartjie?
Is it a return ticket?
Asking the way: Waar is...? and Hoe kom ek by...?
Two question frames cover almost all direction-asking. Waar is...? ("Where is...?") locates something; Hoe kom ek by...? ("How do I get to...?") asks for the route. The key phrase to internalise is by in hoe kom ek *by die stasie — the destination of "getting to" takes *by, not toe, in this question.
Verskoon my — waar is die naaste apteek?
Excuse me — where is the nearest pharmacy?
Hoe kom ek by die stasie?
How do I get to the station?
Hoe kom ek by die middestad van hier af?
How do I get to the city centre from here?
Is dit ver? Kan ek loop, of moet ek ry?
Is it far? Can I walk, or do I need to drive?
Politely asking directions in general is die pad vra ("to ask the way").
Ek was verdwaal, toe vra ek 'n verbyganger die pad.
I was lost, so I asked a passer-by the way.
Following directions: links, regs, reguit, draai
Now the answers you'll receive. The core vocabulary:
| Afrikaans | English |
|---|---|
| links | left |
| regs | right |
| reguit / reguit aan | straight (ahead) |
| draai | turn |
| by die verkeerslig | at the traffic light |
| by die hoek | at the corner |
| by die stopstraat | at the stop sign / four-way stop |
| naby / ver | near / far |
| oorkant | across from / opposite |
| 'n kaart | a map |
To turn left or right is draai links / draai regs; to carry straight on is ry reguit aan or just reguit. Landmarks are introduced with by ("at"):
Ry reguit aan en draai links by die verkeerslig.
Go straight on and turn left at the traffic light.
Draai regs by die tweede straat, dan is dit aan jou linkerkant.
Turn right at the second street, then it's on your left.
Die bank is oorkant die poskantoor, langs die apteek.
The bank is across from the post office, next to the pharmacy.
Dis nie ver nie — net 'n entjie verder, naby die brug.
It's not far — just a little way further, near the bridge.
That 'n entjie ("a little way / a short distance," a diminutive of end) is the idiomatic way to say "not far at all," and you'll hear it constantly in directions.
Travel wishes: ry veilig
When someone sets off, you wish them well. The standard is ry veilig ("drive safely"); for a journey in general, veilig reis or 'n goeie reis ("a good trip"); and the all-purpose send-off mooi loop ("go well").
Totsiens! Ry veilig, en laat weet as julle daar is.
Bye! Drive safely, and let us know when you're there.
Geniet die vakansie en veilig reis!
Enjoy the holiday and travel safely!
Mooi loop, ons sien julle volgende week.
Go well, we'll see you next week.
Common mistakes
❌ Ek gaan toe werk.
Incorrect — toe is a postposition; it goes after the destination, not before it.
✅ Ek gaan werk toe.
I'm going to work.
❌ Ons reis met trein.
Incorrect — transport with met keeps the article: met die trein.
✅ Ons reis met die trein.
We're travelling by train.
❌ Hoe kom ek na die stasie?
Incorrect — this question frame takes by, not na: hoe kom ek by die stasie?
✅ Hoe kom ek by die stasie?
How do I get to the station?
❌ Draai by die links verkeerslig.
Word-order slip — the direction follows draai, and the landmark is introduced with by: draai links by die verkeerslig.
✅ Draai links by die verkeerslig.
Turn left at the traffic light.
❌ Veilig ry! (as a send-off)
Word order off — the fixed wish is ry veilig, with the verb first.
✅ Ry veilig!
Drive safely!
Key takeaways
- op pad = "on your way"; the destination takes the postposition toe after it — werk toe, dorp toe, huis toe.
- Transport uses met die ... and keeps the article: met die trein / bus / vliegtuig. On foot is te voet or simply ek loop.
- Ask the way with Waar is...? (location) and Hoe kom ek by...? (route — note by, not toe, here). Asking directions is die pad vra.
- Directions: draai links / regs, reguit aan, landmarks with by (by die verkeerslig); naby/ver, oorkant, 'n entjie ("a short way").
- Travel wishes: ry veilig, veilig reis, mooi loop.
Now practice Afrikaans
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Start learning Afrikaans→Related Topics
- Direction: na, toe, uit, deurA2 — How Afrikaans marks movement toward and away from a place — the distinctive postposition toe (huis toe), the preposition na, and the source markers uit and van … af.
- Time Prepositions: om, op, in, voor, na, tydensA2 — Afrikaans temporal prepositions follow a tidy size ladder — om for the hour, op for days, in for months and longer — plus voor, na, tydens and sedert.
- Useful Fixed Phrases and Discourse ChunksA2 — Ready-made conversational chunks — nou-nou, netnou, in elk geval, dit hang af, kom ons sê — to learn whole and deploy without building from scratch.
- Dialogue: Asking Directions (A2)A2 — A short original Afrikaans directions dialogue, annotated for imperatives, location prepositions, and the directional postposition toe.
- na vs toe (to / towards)A2 — When to use the preposition na before a destination and when to use the postposition toe after it — and why everyday Afrikaans prefers dorp toe over na die dorp.