Breakdown of Ek sien verskeie honde in die tuin.
ek
I
sien
to see
die hond
the dog
die
the
in
in
die tuin
the garden
verskeie
various
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Questions & Answers about Ek sien verskeie honde in die tuin.
What does verskeie mean in English?
verskeie translates to “several” or “various.” It indicates more than a few but not a large number.
How do you form the plural of hond?
You typically add -e to make the plural. So hond (dog) becomes honde (dogs).
Why is there no -s on sien when the subject is singular?
Afrikaans verbs do not change form for person or number in the present tense. sien remains sien for ek, jy, hy, ons, etc.
Why do we say in die tuin instead of in tuin?
Afrikaans requires the definite article die ("the") before a specific noun. If you meant “in a garden,” you’d use the indefinite article: in 'n tuin.
Is the word order here the same as in English?
Yes. This sentence follows Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) plus an adverbial phrase:
Ek (S) sien (V) verskeie honde (O) in die tuin (adverbial).
Can I place verskeie after honde, as in honde verskeie?
No. In Afrikaans, adjectives and quantifiers (like verskeie) come before the noun, so verskeie honde is correct.
How would I say “I see some dogs” if I don’t want to use verskeie?
You could say Ek sien 'n paar honde (“I see a few dogs”) or Ek sien sommige honde (“I see some dogs”).