Breakdown of Die optometris bepaal gesigskerpte deurdat ek die oogkaart lees.
ek
I
lees
to read
bepaal
to determine
deurdat
because; in that
Questions & Answers about Die optometris bepaal gesigskerpte deurdat ek die oogkaart lees.
What does deurdat mean here?
Deurdat introduces a subordinate clause and means something like through the fact that, by, or as a result of. In this sentence, it explains the method: the optometrist determines visual acuity by having me read the eye chart.
It is a bit more formal or bookish than some other ways of expressing the same idea.
Why is lees at the end?
Because deurdat starts a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses the finite verb normally goes to the end.
So the structure is:
- main clause: Die optometris bepaal gesigskerpte
- subordinate clause: deurdat ek die oogkaart lees
That final lees is very typical Afrikaans word order after words like omdat, dat, terwyl, and deurdat.
Who is doing the reading, ek or die optometris?