Die kind lees rustig in die kombuis.

The child reads calmly in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Die kind lees rustig in die kombuis.

• lees: to read
• in: in
• die kind: the child
• die kombuis: the kitchen
• rustig: calmly

Questions & Answers about Die kind lees rustig in die kombuis.

What does the article die mean, and does it change form?

die is the definite article meaning the. It does not change for gender, number or case—it is used for both singular and plural. For example: die kind (the child), die kinders (the children).

Why is the verb lees the same for all subjects?

Afrikaans verbs do not conjugate for person or number. You use the base form in the present tense for all subjects: ek lees, jy lees, hy/sy lees, ons lees, etc.

What part of speech is rustig, and why does it come after the verb?

rustig is an adverb meaning calmly or quietly. In a simple declarative sentence, Afrikaans generally follows Subject–Verb–Adverb–Prepositional Phrase order. So Die kind lees rustig in die kombuis places the adverb after the verb.

How does the word order in Afrikaans compare to English?

Afrikaans has a similar basic word order (Subject–Verb–Object) to English. In the present simple tense the finite verb usually stays in second position, and other elements (adverbs, objects or adverbial phrases) follow. You can front adverbials or objects for emphasis, but the main verb remains second.

Why is it in die kombuis and not in kombuis?

Afrikaans requires the definite article die when you mean in the kitchen. If you wanted to say in a kitchen, you would use the indefinite article ’n, as in in ’n kombuis.

How would I make kind and kombuis plural?

kind → kinders (children)
kombuis → kombuise (kitchens)
You still use die for “the”: die kinders lees rustig in die kombuise.

How do you pronounce die, lees, rustig, and kombuis?

Approximate English renderings:

• die: sounds like dee
• lees: sounds like lays
• rustig: RUS-tikh (first syllable as in rust, second as a soft ch-sound like in German ich)
• kombuis: kom-BUYS (with the “ui” similar to the vowel in English boy but shorter)

How do I turn this into a question?

Invert the verb and subject:
Lees die kind rustig in die kombuis? → Does the child read calmly in the kitchen?
For questions with question words, start with the question word, then verb: Waar lees die kind rustig? (though this is less common in this context).