Die poësie is mooi.

to be

Breakdown of Die poësie is mooi.

• mooi: beautiful
• die poësie: poetry

Questions & Answers about Die poësie is mooi.

What does die mean in this sentence?

Here, die means the.

So Die poësie = the poetry.

A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns

Unlike some other languages, you do not have to learn different forms for masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns.

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Why is it die poësie and not 'n poësie?

Because poësie usually means poetry as an abstract or uncountable idea, not a poem as one countable item.

So:

• die poësie = the poetry
• 'n gedig = a poem

Using 'n poësie would normally sound unnatural if you mean a poem.

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How do you pronounce poësie, and what does the ë do?

The ë shows that the vowels are pronounced separately.

So poësie is said in separate parts, roughly like:

po-eh-see

The ë prevents you from blending the o and e into one sound. It tells you to start a new syllable there.

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