Die verkeersbeampte is goed toegerus.

to be

Breakdown of Die verkeersbeampte is goed toegerus.

• goed: well
• die verkeersbeampte: traffic officer
• toerus: to equip

Questions & Answers about Die verkeersbeampte is goed toegerus.

What does die mean here, and is it pronounced like English die?

Here die means the.

It is not pronounced like the English verb die. In Afrikaans, die is usually pronounced roughly like dee.

A useful point for learners: Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for all nouns, so you do not have to learn different forms for masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns.

What does verkeersbeampte mean, and how is it built?

verkeersbeampte is a compound noun:

• verkeer = traffic
• -s- = a linking sound often used in compounds
• beampte = official / officer

So verkeersbeampte means traffic officer.

Compound nouns are very common in Afrikaans, just as in Dutch and German. English often writes similar ideas as two words, but Afrikaans frequently combines them into one word.

Why is there an -s- in verkeersbeampte?