Die mediese geskiedenis is belangrik.

The medical history is important.

Breakdown of Die mediese geskiedenis is belangrik.

• wees: to be
• belangrik: important
• die mediese geskiedenis: medical history

Questions & Answers about Die mediese geskiedenis is belangrik.

What does die mean here, and is it the same word for all nouns?

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

A useful thing for English speakers is that Afrikaans uses die for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all genders

So unlike languages such as German or Dutch, you do not have to learn different forms of the depending on gender. Die is the normal definite article across the board.

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Why is it mediese and not medies?

Because mediese is the attributive form of the adjective, meaning it comes before a noun.

• mediese geskiedenis = medical history
• belangrik in this sentence comes after is, so it stays in its basic form

A good rule of thumb is:

• before a noun: adjectives often take -e
• after is: adjectives usually stay in the plain form

So:

• mediese geskiedenis
• Die geskiedenis is medies would use medies after the verb, though that exact sentence is less natural in real life.

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Is mediese geskiedenis one compound noun, or is it an adjective plus a noun?