Ek eet twee appels.

I eat two apples.

Breakdown of Ek eet twee appels.

• ek: I
• eet: to eat
• die appel: the apple
• twee: two

Questions & Answers about Ek eet twee appels.

Why is there no article before twee appels?

In Afrikaans, when you use a number before a noun, you do not use an indefinite article. Plural nouns also do not take the indefinite article 'n—that’s only for singular nouns (e.g. Ek eet 'n appel = I eat an apple). If you want the definite article die (“the”), you put it in front: die twee appels.

How do I form the plural of appel to get appels?

Afrikaans nouns form plurals mainly by adding -e or -s. Nouns ending in an unstressed syllable (like -el, -ing, -heid, etc.) or a vowel typically take -s. Since appel ends in the unstressed syllable -el, the plural is appels.

Why is the verb eet the same for ek, jy, hy, etc.?

Afrikaans has a very simple present tense. You use the bare verb stem (the infinitive minus om/te) for all persons. There is no subject-verb agreement suffix. So: Ek eet, Jy eet, Hy eet, Ons eet, etc.

What is the basic word order in Ek eet twee appels?

Afrikaans main clauses follow a V2 (verb-second) rule, where the finite verb occupies the second position. When the subject is first, it’s simply Subject-Verb-Object (SVO): [Ek] [eet] [twee appels].

How do you turn Ek eet twee appels into a question like Do you eat two apples?

For a yes/no question, invert the finite verb and subject. Put the verb first:
Eet jy twee appels?
This literally means Do you eat two apples. For Do I eat two apples, say Eet ek twee appels?

How do I negate Ek eet twee appels to say I don’t eat two apples?

Afrikaans uses double nie. Place the first nie after the verb (or verb phrase) and the second nie at the end of the clause:
Ek eet nie twee appels nie.

How do I say the two apples in Afrikaans?

Use the definite article die for both singular and plural. So die twee appels means the two apples.

How do I pronounce Ek eet twee appels?

Approximate in English: eck EET tway AH-puhls.

• Ek: “eck” (short e + k)
• eet: “EET” (long e)
• twee: “tway” (long e)
• appels: “AH-puhls” (stress on first syllable; final s is /s/)