Skuimgehalte verbeter nie soseer weens warm melk nie, maar weens stoomdruk.

Foam quality improves not so much because of warm milk as because of steam pressure.

Breakdown of Skuimgehalte verbeter nie soseer weens warm melk nie, maar weens stoomdruk.

• die melk: the milk
• warm: warm
• verbeter: to improve
• weens: because of; due to

Questions & Answers about Skuimgehalte verbeter nie soseer weens warm melk nie, maar weens stoomdruk.

What does nie soseer ... nie, maar ... mean in this sentence?

It is a fixed contrast pattern meaning not so much ... but rather ....

So the sentence is saying that foam quality improves not so much because of warm milk, but because of steam pressure.

An important nuance: this often does not mean the first thing is completely false. It usually means the second thing is the more important or more accurate explanation.

Why are there two nies?

Afrikaans normally uses double negation.

In this sentence, the pattern is:

nie soseer + reason 1 + nie, maar + reason 2

So:

• the first nie starts the negative contrast
• the second nie closes it
• maar then introduces the corrected or stronger alternative

English usually needs only one negative here, but Afrikaans often needs two.

What does soseer mean by itself?

Soseer is an adverb that means something like so much, to such an extent, or particularly.

In the expression nie soseer ... nie, it gives the idea not so much.

So in this sentence, nie soseer weens warm melk nie means not so much because of warm milk.