Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: My suster sê dat ons huis mooi is. - My sister says that our house is beautiful.

In Afrikaans, dat is often used to introduce a subordinate clause or indirect speech. In My suster sê dat ons huis mooi is, it connects the main clause (My suster sê) with the subordinate clause (ons huis mooi is), indicating that what follows is what your sister is saying or thinking.

Is the word order in the subordinate clause different from English?

Yes, in Afrikaans subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb often appears at the end of the clause. Here, is appears at the end of dat ons huis mooi is, whereas in English, you would say that our house is pretty, placing is before pretty.

What does my mean in My suster?

The word my is a possessive pronoun in Afrikaans, just like my in English. It indicates that the sister belongs to the speaker. So My suster directly translates to my sister in English.

How do I form other possessive pronouns similarly?

Some common possessive pronouns in Afrikaans include my (my), jou (your), sy (his), haar (her), ons (our), and hulle (their). You would place them before the noun, for example: jou boek (your book), ons huis (our house).

Why do we say mooi is and not is mooi in Afrikaans?

In the main clause, you generally say is mooi (for example, Ons huis is mooi). However, in the subordinate clause (which follows dat), the verb often moves to the end. That means ons huis is mooi in an independent statement becomes dat ons huis mooi is inside the dependent clause.