Die magneet is op die tafel.

to be

Breakdown of Die magneet is op die tafel.

• die tafel: the table
• op: on
• die magneet: magnet

Questions & Answers about Die magneet is op die tafel.

Why does die appear twice in Die magneet is op die tafel?

Because die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

• Die magneet = the magnet
• die tafel = the table

Afrikaans uses die for singular and plural nouns, and it does not change for gender. So unlike languages such as German or Dutch, you do not need to learn different forms for the.

Does die mean the or this/that?

In this sentence, die means the.

That can be confusing for English speakers because it looks a bit like this or that, but here it is just the normal definite article:

• die tafel = the table
• die magneet = the magnet

Afrikaans has other ways to express this and that, such as hierdie and daardie.

What does is mean here? Is it the same as English is?