Questions & Answers about Die prentjie is op die webwerf.
Why is die used twice in Die prentjie is op die webwerf?
In Afrikaans, die is the definite article, meaning the.
It appears twice because there are two definite nouns in the sentence:
- die prentjie = the picture/image
- die webwerf = the website
Unlike English, Afrikaans does not change the for gender. It is simply die for singular and plural definite nouns in ordinary usage.
What does prentjie mean exactly, and why does it end in -jie?
Prentjie is the diminutive form of prent.
- prent = picture, illustration
- prentjie = little picture, picture, image
The ending -jie is a very common Afrikaans diminutive ending. It often makes a word sound:
- smaller
- more informal
- more natural in everyday speech
In many cases, the diminutive is so common that it is just the normal everyday word people use.
So although prentjie literally suggests little picture, in real usage it can simply mean picture or image.
Is prentjie always a physical picture, or can it mean a digital image too?