Hy sê die buskaartjie is goedkoper.

He says the bus ticket is cheaper.

Breakdown of Hy sê die buskaartjie is goedkoper.

• hy: he
• wees: to be
• sê: to say
• die buskaartjie: the bus ticket
• goedkoop: cheap

Questions & Answers about Hy sê die buskaartjie is goedkoper.

What’s the difference between the Afrikaans verbs sê and zeg?

In Afrikaans the common verb for “to say” is sê. zeg is Dutch, not Afrikaans. Over time Afrikaans replaced the Dutch “z” with “s” in this verb, so always use sê in Afrikaans.

Why does sê have a circumflex (ê), and how do you pronounce it?

The circumflex indicates a long vowel. Pronounce sê as /seː/ – somewhat like the English “say” but with a longer, more open “ay” sound.

Why is there no dat (“that”) before “die buskaartjie is goedkoper”?

Afrikaans allows you to omit the conjunction dat in reported speech. When you leave it out, the following clause still follows main‐clause word order (subject + verb + complement).

I thought subordinate clauses push the verb to the end. Why isn’t is at the end here?

Unlike Dutch or German, Afrikaans does not use verb-final order in subordinate clauses. All clauses obey the V2 rule (verb in second position), so in “die buskaartjie is goedkoper” the subject die buskaartjie comes first and the verb is stays second.

What’s the difference between die and ’n in front of a noun?

• die = “the” (definite article)
• ’n (apostrophe n) = “a/an” (indefinite article)
  So die buskaartjie means “the bus ticket,” whereas ’n buskaartjie means “a bus ticket.”

Why is buskaartjie one word, and what’s the -jie ending?

1. Compounds in Afrikaans (like bus
   • kaart) are written as a single word: buskaart.
2. The suffix -jie is the diminutive: it makes the noun smaller or more familiar.
   Hence buskaartjie = “little bus ticket” (but often just “bus ticket” in everyday speech).

How do you form comparatives in Afrikaans, and why is it goedkoper instead of using meer?

• Monosyllabic or short adjectives take -er: goed → goedkoper (“cheaper”).
• Longer adjectives use meer: meer interessant (“more interesting”).
  Since goed is short, you always say goedkoper, never meer goedkoop.

How do you pronounce goedkoper?

In IPA it’s roughly /ˈχuːtkʰuːpər/. In plain English approximation:

• g as a guttural “kh” (like clearing your throat softly)
• oe = “oo” in “food”
• stress on the first syllable: “KHOOT-koh-per”

Could I translate Hy sê die buskaartjie is goedkoper as “He said the bus ticket is cheaper”?

Yes. Afrikaans often uses the historical present for past events. If you prefer a clear past tense, you can say:
Hy het gesê die buskaartjie is goedkoper.