Ek kan die nuwe boek lees.

I

Breakdown of Ek kan die nuwe boek lees.

• lees: to read
• die: the
• nuwe: new
• die boek: the book
• kan: to be able

Questions & Answers about Ek kan die nuwe boek lees.

How do I say I in Afrikaans, and why is it written as Ek here?

In Afrikaans, Ek is the pronoun that means I. When you’re talking about yourself, you always use Ek instead of English I. So Ek kan literally translates to I can.

Why do we have two verbs, kan and lees, in this sentence?

In Afrikaans, kan is a modal verb (it indicates ability). After a modal verb, the main verb (lees, which means read) follows in its base form. So, Ek kan lees means I can read. When you add the object (die nuwe boek), the order remains Ek kan die nuwe boek lees.

What does die nuwe boek literally mean, and why is nuwe placed before boek?

Die is the definite article (like English the). Nuwe means new. In Afrikaans, adjectives (like nuwe) typically appear before the noun (boek, meaning book). So die nuwe boek literally translates to the new book.

Why is there a k in kan but a g in other modal verbs like gaan?

In Afrikaans, different modal verbs have different spellings. Kan is simply the form for can (ability). Gaan is another verb meaning go or is used for the future tense (like going to in English). They come from different roots, so they end up with different spellings despite being classified as modal or auxiliary verbs.

Can I rearrange the sentence to say Ek kan lees die nuwe boek?

No, that would sound incorrect. In Afrikaans, the object (die nuwe boek) must follow immediately after the modal verb before the main verb in this type of sentence. So the correct order is always Ek kan die nuwe boek lees.