Breakdown of Ek sê dat die rooi klere die beste keuse is vir die partytjie.
Questions & Answers about Ek sê dat die rooi klere die beste keuse is vir die partytjie.
In Afrikaans, dat is the standard subordinating conjunction meaning “that.” It introduces clauses after verbs like sê, weet, dink, etc.
• Formally you keep dat: Ek sê dat…
• In casual speech you might sometimes omit it (Ek sê die rooi klere…), but this is informal and can lead to confusion. When in doubt, include dat.
Afrikaans marks definiteness on each noun phrase separately. Here you have two definite noun phrases:
- die rooi klere (“the red clothes”)
- die beste keuse (“the best choice”)
Each one needs its own die. English sometimes drops the second “the” (“the red clothes are the best choice”), but in Afrikaans you repeat die.
Regular superlatives add -ste to the adjective (e.g. goed → goedste, snel → snelste). But some common adjectives are irregular:
• goed (“good”) → beste (“best”)
• veel (“many/much”) → meeste (“most”)
• min (“few/least”) → minste (“least”)
When you use a superlative, you always precede it with die: die beste keuse = “the best choice.”
In Afrikaans main clauses the finite verb generally occupies the second position (V2). However, in a dat-clause (a subordinate clause introduced by dat), the finite verb moves to the end of the clause (just after any adverbials). So:
Ek sê (dat) … die rooi klere die beste keuse is …
If you add more phrases (e.g. vir die partytjie), they follow the verb.
vir in Afrikaans most often translates to English for in the sense of purpose, benefit, or suitability:
• ’n geskenk vir jou = “a gift for you”
• Kom ons maak dit vir môre gereed = “Let’s have it ready for tomorrow”
Here die beste keuse is vir die partytjie means “the best choice for the party.”
By contrast, voor means “in front of” or “before (in time),” and aan often means “to” or “on.”
partytjie is a diminutive of party. Pronunciation tips:
• tj is pronounced like English ch in “church” (/t͡ʃ/).
• The ending -jie sounds approximately like -chee-uh.
Putting it together: PAR-TEE-CHUH (with primary stress on the first syllable).