Die speek is los.

to be

Breakdown of Die speek is los.

• los: loose; not firmly attached
• die speek: wheel spoke

Questions & Answers about Die speek is los.

What does die mean in this sentence?

Die is the definite article, so it means the.

In Die speek is los, die speek means the spoke. One useful thing to know is that Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for all nouns. It does not change for gender, and it can also be used with plural nouns.

Is die pronounced like the English word die?

No. In Afrikaans, die is usually pronounced roughly like dee.

This is a very common mistake for English speakers, because the spelling looks familiar but the pronunciation is different.

What exactly is speek? Is it related to the English word speak?

No. Speek is a noun, not a verb. It means a spoke, as in a wheel spoke.

So even though speek looks a bit like English speak, it is a false friend here. It has nothing to do with talking.

Why is is the same as in English?