Die bestuurder wag by die stasie.

The driver waits at the station.

Breakdown of Die bestuurder wag by die stasie.

• wag: to wait
• by: at
• die stasie: the station
• die bestuurder: the driver

Questions & Answers about Die bestuurder wag by die stasie.

What does die mean in this sentence?

die is the definite article in Afrikaans, equivalent to the in English. It does not change for gender or number—die is used for all nouns when they’re definite.

Why is die used twice in the sentence?

Because there are two definite noun phrases here—die bestuurder (the driver) and die stasie (the station)—each needs its own article.

How do I pronounce wag, and what sound does the g make?

“wag” is pronounced approximately as /vɑx/ or /vɑχ/.

• w sounds like an English v
• a is like the “a” in “father”
• g is a guttural fricative (similar to the “ch” in German Bach)

Why doesn’t the verb wag change form for “he” (no -s)?

Afrikaans verbs do not inflect for person or number in the present tense. You use the same form—wag—with ek, jy, hy/sy, ons, julle, and hulle.

What does mean here, and why isn’t it or ?