Ek sien ’n groot golf by die see.

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Breakdown of Ek sien ’n groot golf by die see.

• sien: to see
• groot: big
• die: the

Questions & Answers about Ek sien ’n groot golf by die see.

Why is the indefinite article written as ’n with an apostrophe?

In Afrikaans, ’n is a contraction of the old word een (one). The apostrophe shows that the e has been dropped. It functions exactly like “a” or “an” in English and is always written with that leading apostrophe.

What’s the difference between die and ’n in this sentence?

die is the definite article (equivalent to English the), while ’n is the indefinite article (English a or an). Here, die see means the sea, and ’n groot golf means a big wave.

Why doesn’t groot take an -e ending before golf?

Afrikaans adjectives only get an -e ending when the noun is definite or when you form the plural. Because groot golf is singular and preceded by the indefinite article ’n, the adjective remains in its basic form, groot.

What is the word order in Ek sien ’n groot golf by die see, and how does it compare to English?