Ek sit by die voorste venster.

I sit by the front window.

Breakdown of Ek sit by die voorste venster.

• ek: I
• die: the
• sit: to sit
• die venster: the window
• by: by
• voorste: front

Questions & Answers about Ek sit by die voorste venster.

Why is the preposition by used here instead of something like in or aan?

In Afrikaans, by often corresponds to English by, at, or next to when you indicate proximity. Saying Ek sit by die venster literally means “I’m sitting by (next to) the window.” You wouldn’t use in unless you meant “inside” something, and aan usually means “on” or “at” in other contexts (e.g., aan die muur = “on the wall”).

What does voorste mean, and why is it used here instead of voor or voorkant?

Voorste is an attributive adjective meaning “front” (as in “front window”). Afrikaans forms such position adjectives by taking voor (before/front) and adding -ste. You could say die voorkant to mean “the front side,” but before a noun you use voorste: die voorste venster = “the front window.”

Why is there a definite article die before voorste venster?

Afrikaans, like English, uses a definite article (“the”) when you’re referring to a specific thing. Die voorste venster means “the front window.” If you wanted to say “a front window” in general, you’d use the indefinite article ’n: Ek sit by ’n voorste venster.

Is the word order Ek sit by die voorste venster always fixed, or can I change it?

This is the normal word order: Subject (Ek) – Verb (sit) – Prepositional phrase (by die voorste venster). You wouldn’t swap the verb and subject in a statement. If you want to emphasize location, you might start with By die voorste venster sit ek, but that’s more poetic or emphatic, not standard neutral word order.

Why is the verb sit not conjugated differently for ek?

Afrikaans verbs do not change form for person or number in the present tense. Whether it’s ek sit, jy sit, ons sit, or sy sit, the verb sit stays the same.

Can I shorten voorste when speaking quickly, like saying vorste?

No, in standard Afrikaans you pronounce and write voorste in full. Dropping the o would be nonstandard and could cause confusion.

How would I make this sentence negative?

Use the double negative structure with nie twice:
Ek sit nie by die voorste venster nie.
The first nie follows the verb, and the second comes at the end of the sentence.