Die koffieboon is in die koffiemeul.

The coffee bean is in the coffee grinder.

Breakdown of Die koffieboon is in die koffiemeul.

• wees: to be
• in: in
• die koffiemeul: coffee grinder
• die koffieboon: coffee bean

Questions & Answers about Die koffieboon is in die koffiemeul.

Why is die used twice?

Because die is the normal definite article in Afrikaans, meaning the. In this sentence, it appears once before koffieboon and once before koffiemeul because both nouns are definite:

• die koffieboon = the coffee bean
• die koffiemeul = the coffee grinder

Unlike English, Afrikaans uses the same article die for all genders, and it also does not change form the way articles do in some other languages.

Does die mean the for both singular and plural nouns?

Yes. Die can mean the with both singular and plural nouns.

For example:

• die koffieboon = the coffee bean
• die koffiebone = the coffee beans

So Afrikaans does not change the definite article based on number.

Why are koffieboon and koffiemeul written as one word?