Die katalogus wys die raknommer.

The catalogue shows the shelf number.

Breakdown of Die katalogus wys die raknommer.

• wys: to show
• die katalogus: catalogue
• die raknommer: shelf number; call number

Questions & Answers about Die katalogus wys die raknommer.

Why does die appear twice in Die katalogus wys die raknommer?

Because die is the Afrikaans definite article meaning the.

In this sentence:

• Die katalogus = the catalogue
• die raknommer = the shelf number

Afrikaans uses die for definite nouns, and unlike English, it does not change for grammatical gender.

Does die mean the for both masculine and feminine nouns?

Yes. Afrikaans does not use different words like the based on gender. The article die is used regardless of whether the noun would be masculine, feminine, or neuter in other languages.

It is also used with many plural nouns, so it is a very common and useful word.

Why is wys translated as shows and not show?

Afrikaans verbs usually do not change form depending on the subject in the present tense.

So:

• Ek wys = I show
• Jy wys = you show
• Die katalogus wys = the catalogue shows

English adds -s in he/she/it shows, but Afrikaans keeps the same verb form: wys.

What is the basic word order in this sentence?