Die eindstreep is naby die waterpunt.

The finish line is near the water point.

Breakdown of Die eindstreep is naby die waterpunt.

• wees: to be
• naby: near
• die eindstreep: finish line
• die waterpunt: water point

Questions & Answers about Die eindstreep is naby die waterpunt.

Why does die appear twice in Die eindstreep is naby die waterpunt?

Because die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

So in this sentence:

• Die eindstreep = the finish line
• die waterpunt = the water point / water station

Afrikaans uses die for all definite nouns, whether they would be masculine, feminine, or neuter in other languages. There is no gender distinction in the article.

Does die change for gender or number?

No. That is one of the nice things about Afrikaans.

Die is used for:

• singular nouns: die eindstreep
• plural nouns: die waterpunte

So unlike languages such as German or Dutch, Afrikaans does not have different forms of the depending on gender or case.

Why is eindstreep written as one word?

Afrikaans often forms compound nouns by writing them as a single word.

So:

• eind = end
• streep = line / stripe

Together, eindstreep means finish line.

This is very common in Afrikaans, just as in Dutch and German. English often writes similar ideas as two words, but Afrikaans prefers one compound word.