Die raklewe is op die voorraadlys.

to be

Breakdown of Die raklewe is op die voorraadlys.

• op: on
• die voorraadlys: stock list
• die raklewe: shelf life

Questions & Answers about Die raklewe is op die voorraadlys.

Why is die used twice?

Because die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

Afrikaans uses die for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all grammatical genders

So unlike languages such as German or Dutch, you do not have to learn different forms of the for masculine, feminine, neuter, or plural in a sentence like this. Both die raklewe and die voorraadlys simply take die.

What kind of word is raklewe?

Raklewe is a compound noun.

It is made from:

• rak = shelf
• lewe = life

Afrikaans very often joins nouns together into one longer noun, just like English sometimes does in words like bedroom or toothbrush. So raklewe is a single noun meaning shelf life.

Why is voorraadlys written as one word?

For the same reason as raklewe: it is also a compound noun.

It combines:

• voorraad = stock / inventory / supply
• lys = list

Afrikaans usually writes these combinations as one word. English is less consistent: sometimes English writes similar expressions as one word, sometimes two words, and sometimes with a hyphen. Afrikaans is generally more eager to join them together.

Why is the verb is so simple here?