Ek kan die nuwe boek lees.

I

Breakdown of Ek kan die nuwe boek lees.

• lees: to read
• die: the
• nuwe: new

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 ?