Breakdown of Op die kaart wys hy die afdeling vir historiese voorwerpe.
hy
he
die
the
vir
for
op
on
die kaart
the map
wys
to show
die afdeling
the section
historiese
historical
die voorwerp
the object
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Questions & Answers about Op die kaart wys hy die afdeling vir historiese voorwerpe.
What does the phrase Op die kaart mean?
It literally translates to on the map, where op = on, die = the, kaart = map.
Why is the verb wys placed before the subject hy?
Afrikaans has a V2 (verb-second) word order. Since Op die kaart is an adverbial element in the first position, the finite verb (wys) must come second, and the subject (hy) follows it.
What does afdeling mean in this sentence?
Afdeling means section or division. Here it refers to the part of the map dedicated to historical objects.
Why does historiese end in -e?
In Afrikaans, adjectives take an -e ending when they modify a definite or plural noun. Since voorwerpe is plural, historiese receives the default -e suffix.
How do you form the plural voorwerpe from voorwerp?
Most Afrikaans nouns form the plural by adding -e. So voorwerp becomes voorwerpe.
Why is there no article before historiese voorwerpe, but there is one before afdeling?
Die afdeling is definite; it refers to a specific section. Historiese voorwerpe is used in a general sense (“historical objects” in general), so no article is needed.
Could you use toon instead of wys here?
Yes, toon also means “to show,” especially for displaying something on a screen or in a demonstration. However, wys is more commonly used for indicating or pointing out on a map.
How would you specify “the section for the historical objects” if you mean specific objects?
You would say Op die kaart wys hy die afdeling vir die historiese voorwerpe. Here die historiese voorwerpe makes it clear you’re talking about particular historical objects.