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Questions & Answers about Die kos is gesond.
What does Die mean, and when do we use it?
Die is the definite article in Afrikaans, equivalent to the in English. It’s used with both singular and plural nouns when you refer to a specific or previously mentioned item.
Why isn't there an ’n (indefinite article) before kos? Shouldn't it be ’n kos?
’n is the indefinite article (like a/an) but it’s only used with countable nouns. Kos is an uncountable (mass) noun meaning food, so you don’t use ’n with it. To talk about food in general, you say Kos is gesond (i.e. Food is healthy). If you wanted to refer to a single piece or type, you could say ’n stuk kos (a piece of food).
Why doesn’t gesond take an -e ending here?
When adjectives come after a copular verb like is (in the predicative position), they stay in their base form and don’t get the -e ending. When an adjective appears directly before a noun (attributive position), it usually takes -e, as in die gesonde kos.
How would I say “the healthy food” in Afrikaans?
You’d say die gesonde kos. Here gesond is attributive (directly before the noun), so it takes the -e ending.
What is the role of is in Die kos is gesond?
Is is the present-tense form of the verb to be (the copula) in Afrikaans. It links the subject (die kos) with the adjective (gesond) that describes it.
How do I turn Die kos is gesond into a question?
Invert the verb and subject: Is die kos gesond? That means Is the food healthy?
What’s the difference between Die kos is gesond and Kos is gesond?
Die kos is gesond means the food is healthy, referring to specific food, while Kos is gesond means food is healthy in general, without specifying which food.
How do you pronounce kos and gesond?
Kos is pronounced [kɔs] (like kaws with an open o). Gesond is [χəˈsɔnt], with the initial g as a soft ch (like in loch) and stress on the second syllable: ge-SOND.