Breakdown of Die skroef en wasser is bymekaar.
wees
to be
en
and
die skroef
screw
die wasser
washer (for a screw or bolt)
Questions & Answers about Die skroef en wasser is bymekaar.
What does die mean here?
Die is the Afrikaans definite article, so it means the.
A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans does not change the definite article for gender or number. So the same word die is used for:
- the screw → die skroef
- the washer → die wasser
- the screws → die skroewe
So unlike languages such as German or Dutch, you do not have to learn different forms of the for different nouns.
Why is there only one die before skroef en wasser?
Afrikaans often uses one article before two coordinated nouns, especially when they are being treated as a natural pair:
- die skroef en wasser
This is understood as the screw and the washer.
- die skroef en die wasser
That sounds a bit more explicit, but the version with only one die is very normal and natural.
Why is the verb is and not something like are?