Die eienaarskap is belangrik.

The ownership is important.

Breakdown of Die eienaarskap is belangrik.

• wees: to be
• belangrik: important
• die eienaarskap: ownership

Questions & Answers about Die eienaarskap is belangrik.

What does Die mean here, and is it pronounced like the English word die?

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, so here it means the.

It is not pronounced like the English word die. In Afrikaans, die is pronounced roughly like dee.

A few useful points:

• die is used for the
• it is used with singular and plural nouns
• Afrikaans does not have the same article system as Dutch or German

So in this sentence, Die eienaarskap is simply the ownership.

Can I also say Eienaarskap is belangrik without die?

Yes, often you can.

The version without die sounds more general, like Ownership is important as a broad idea.

The version with die can sound more specific, like referring to a particular ownership situation already known from context.

So:

• Eienaarskap is belangrik = ownership in general is important
• Die eienaarskap is belangrik = the ownership / that ownership is important

Which one sounds best depends on context.

What kind of word is eienaarskap?