Breakdown of Elke besoeker mag 'n gids vra om die skaars voorwerpe veilig te hanteer.
die
the
'n
a
mag
to be allowed to
om
to
vra
to ask
elke
every
die gids
the guide
die besoeker
the visitor
die voorwerp
the object
skaars
rare
veilig
safely
hanteer
to handle
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Questions & Answers about Elke besoeker mag 'n gids vra om die skaars voorwerpe veilig te hanteer.
What does mag mean in this sentence and how is it different from kan?
In Afrikaans mag expresses permission (may/be allowed), whereas kan expresses ability (can/be able to). Here Elke besoeker mag … means each visitor is allowed to ask a guide. If you used kan, it would read “Every visitor is able to ask a guide,” focusing on capability rather than permission.
Why is Elke besoeker singular instead of plural?
The word Elke means “every” and always takes a singular noun in both English and Afrikaans. You say “every visitor” (not “every visitors”) to emphasize each individual. So Elke besoeker correctly means each single visitor.
What is the function of the apostrophe in 'n?
The apostrophe in 'n marks the omission of the vowel e from een, the numeral “one.” It is the indefinite article equivalent to “a” or “an” in English. Always write the article as 'n with a leading apostrophe and lowercase n.
Why is die used before skaars voorwerpe instead of 'n?
The definite article die (“the”) signals that we are talking about specific, known rare objects on display. If you used 'n, it would mean “a rare object,” referring to any one of them in general instead of the particular set.
Why doesn't the adjective skaars take an -e ending before the plural voorwerpe?
Unlike in many languages, Afrikaans adjectives are generally invariable for number and gender. They do not get extra endings before plural nouns, so skaars stays the same whether it modifies one item or many.
What is the role of om in om die skaars voorwerpe veilig te hanteer?
The particle om introduces an infinitive clause (ombouw) and, together with te, forms om … te before the verb hanteer. Here it indicates purpose: “in order to handle the rare objects safely.”
Why is veilig placed before te hanteer, and what is its role?
In Afrikaans, adverbs like veilig (“safely”) usually come directly before the verb they modify. In the infinitive construction om … te hanteer, putting veilig before te hanteer shows that it is the manner in which the objects are handled.
What does hanteer mean in Afrikaans?
hanteer is a verb meaning “to handle,” “to manage,” or “to deal with.” It comes from Dutch and is commonly used when talking about handling physical objects, situations, or tasks.