Die argitek handig die bouplan in.

The architect submits the building plan.

Breakdown of Die argitek handig die bouplan in.

• inhandig: to submit; hand in
• die argitek: architect
• die bouplan: building plan

Questions & Answers about Die argitek handig die bouplan in.

Why is die used twice in Die argitek handig die bouplan in?

Because Afrikaans uses die as the definite article the.

So the sentence has two noun phrases:

• die argitek = the architect
• die bouplan = the building plan / blueprint

Each noun phrase gets its own article, just like in English if you say the architect hands in the plan.

A useful thing to remember: Afrikaans die does not change for gender, and it is also used for plural nouns.

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Why is in at the end? Is handig ... in really one verb?

Yes. The full verb is inhandig, meaning to hand in / submit.

In a main clause, many Afrikaans verbs with a separable first part split apart:

• inhandig → handig ... in

So:

• Die argitek handig die bouplan in.

This is similar to English hand in in The architect hands the plan in.

The in here is not just an ordinary preposition by itself. It is a verb particle, part of the separable verb inhandig.

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Why isn’t it Die argitek inhandig die bouplan?