Hierdie deel is klein.

This part is small.

Breakdown of Hierdie deel is klein.

• klein: small
• wees: to be
• hierdie: this
• die deel: part; portion

Questions & Answers about Hierdie deel is klein.

What does hierdie mean, and when do I use it?

Hierdie means this or these.

In Hierdie deel is klein, it means this.

A useful thing to know is that Afrikaans does not change this word for singular and plural the way English does:

• hierdie deel = this part
• hierdie dele = these parts

So hierdie works for both this and these; the noun tells you whether it is singular or plural.

Why is the sentence order Hierdie deel is klein? Is it the same as English?

Yes, this sentence follows the normal basic word order and is very similar to English:

• Hierdie deel = subject
• is = verb
• klein = adjective/complement

So it works like:

• This part is small

Afrikaans often uses the same simple order as English in basic statements: subject + verb + complement.

Why is there no word for a or the before deel?