Die inskripsie is op die muur.

to be

Breakdown of Die inskripsie is op die muur.

• op: on
• die muur: the wall
• die inskripsie: inscription

Questions & Answers about Die inskripsie is op die muur.

Why does die appear twice in Die inskripsie is op die muur?

In Afrikaans, die is the definite article for the.

So:

• die inskripsie = the inscription
• die muur = the wall

Unlike languages such as German, Afrikaans does not change the for gender or most cases. The same word die is used for singular and plural definite nouns in most ordinary situations.

Also, die in Afrikaans is pronounced dee, not like the English verb die.

Does inskripsie have a gender, like feminine or masculine?

No. Afrikaans nouns do not have grammatical gender in the way that German or Dutch do.

So inskripsie is not grammatically feminine or masculine in Afrikaans. That is one reason Afrikaans grammar is often simpler for English speakers.

You can just learn:

• die inskripsie = the inscription
• ’n inskripsie = an inscription

without worrying about noun gender.

Is is used the same way as English is?