Breakdown of Die treinkaartjie is duurder as die buskaartjie, en dit is nogal duur.
wees
to be
en
and
dit
it
as
than
die buskaartjie
the bus ticket
duur
expensive
die treinkaartjie
the train ticket
duurder
more expensive
nogal
quite
Questions & Answers about Die treinkaartjie is duurder as die buskaartjie, en dit is nogal duur.
In the phrase duurder as die buskaartjie, why is as used instead of dan, like in German?
In Afrikaans comparatives use as to introduce the thing being compared. German uses als, Dutch uses dan, but in Afrikaans as is the standard comparative conjunction. You never say duurder dan—it’s always duurder as.
How do you form the comparative of adjectives like duur in Afrikaans?
Most short adjectives take -er to form the comparative. So duur (‘expensive’) becomes duurder (‘more expensive’). You only use meer + adjective when the adjective is longer or a foreign borrowing (e.g. meer interessant, meer modern), but not with a simple adjective like duur.
What does nogal mean in nogal duur, and how strong is it?
Nogal means ‘quite’, ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. It’s weaker than baie (‘very’) but stronger than effens (‘slightly’). So nogal duur conveys “reasonably expensive,” not extremely.
In the second clause en dit is nogal duur, what does dit refer to?
Dit (‘it’) refers back to die treinkaartjie (‘the train ticket’) mentioned earlier. In English you’d read it as “and it (i.e. the train ticket) is quite expensive.”
Why do both treinkaartjie and buskaartjie end with -jie?
The suffix -jie is the diminutive ending in Afrikaans. It often makes a noun “smaller,” “cuter” or just more informal. Kaart (‘card’/‘ticket’) becomes kaartjie (‘ticket’). It’s extremely common—most everyday nouns get -jie.
Why is die repeated before buskaartjie in duurder as die buskaartjie?
Afrikaans requires the definite article die (‘the’) before each noun phrase. Even inside a comparative clause you repeat die for clarity: as die buskaartjie (“than the bus ticket”).
Is the comma before en in …buskaartjie, en dit is nogal duur mandatory?
No. Commas before en are optional in Afrikaans. You can write …buskaartjie en dit is nogal duur without the comma. Including it simply signals a slight pause or separates two full clauses more clearly.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Afrikaans grammar?”
Afrikaans grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning AfrikaansMaster Afrikaans — from Die treinkaartjie is duurder as die buskaartjie, en dit is nogal duur to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions