Ek maak die deur oop.

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Breakdown of Ek maak die deur oop.

• die: the
• maak oop: to open
• die deur: the door

Questions & Answers about Ek maak die deur oop.

Why do we use "maak" if the sentence means "I open the door"?

In Afrikaans, maak combined with oop is the standard way to say open. It might look like maak literally means make, but when you see maak oop, it effectively means to open.

What part of speech is "oop"? Is it a preposition or an adverb?

In this construction, oop acts more like an adverb or verbal particle that pairs with maak to form the phrasal verb maak oop. It's similar to phrasal verbs in English like turn on or take off.

Why do we say "die deur" instead of "deur die"?

Afrikaans typically follows the subject–verb–object order (SVO). In this sentence, die deur is the object, so it comes after maak and before oop. The direct object goes right after the verb before you finalize the sentence with the rest of the verbal phrase (maak ... oop).

Is there a difference between saying "Ek maak die deur oop" and "Ek maak oop die deur"?

Yes. Redistributing the word order to Ek maak oop die deur would sound unnatural in Afrikaans. Most speakers keep die deur (the object) directly after the verb maak, followed by oop.

Can we replace "die deur" with something else without changing the structure?

Absolutely. You could say Ek maak die venster oop (I open the window). The only part that must stay together is Ek maak ... oop, with the object in between.