Sy lees die getuienis.

she

Breakdown of Sy lees die getuienis.

• lees: to read
• die getuienis: the testimony

Questions & Answers about Sy lees die getuienis.

Why is the verb lees the same for sy? Shouldn’t it change like reads in English?

No. In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change according to the subject in the present tense.

So you get:

• ek lees = I read
• jy lees = you read
• hy lees = he reads
• sy lees = she reads
• ons lees = we read

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not add an -s for he/she/it in the present tense.

Does sy only mean she?

In this sentence, sy means she because it is the subject of the sentence.

Afrikaans sy can also be a possessive word meaning his, depending on the sentence. For example:

• Sy lees die boek. = She reads the book.
• sy boek = his book

So context tells you which meaning is intended.

What does die mean here?