Ek lees eerder in die kombuis as in die tuin.

I read in the kitchen rather than in the garden.

Breakdown of Ek lees eerder in die kombuis as in die tuin.

• ek: I
• lees: to read
• in: in
• die tuin: the garden
• as: than
• die kombuis: the kitchen
• eerder: rather

Questions & Answers about Ek lees eerder in die kombuis as in die tuin.

What does eerder … as … mean and how does it compare to English rather … than …?

The structure eerder … as … is used to express preference, exactly like English rather … than ….

• eerder = rather/preferably
• as = than

What part of speech is eerder in this sentence?

Here eerder functions as an adverb of preference. It modifies the verb lees, telling us you choose to read in one place instead of another.

Can I use liewer instead of eerder, and is there any difference?

Yes. Both liewer and eerder can express preference in Afrikaans:

• liewer is a bit more colloquial and often used directly with verbs (“Ek liewer lees in die kombuis”).
• eerder is fully standard in the comparative pattern eerder … as ….

Why is the verb lees in the present tense used to express a preference? In English we’d say “I would rather read …”

Afrikaans uses the simple present to state general habits or preferences. Ek lees eerder … conveys “I prefer to read …” rather than describing an action happening at this exact moment. No auxiliary modal is needed.

Do I need to repeat in and die before tuin, or can one of them be dropped?

Each phrase in the comparison normally gets its own preposition and article. So in die kombuis as in die tuin is correct.
Omitting the second in or die would sound awkward: the parallel structure needs both.

Can I change the word order, for example fronting in die kombuis?

Yes. Afrikaans follows a verb‐second (V2) rule. If you start with an adverbial phrase, the finite verb must still come next:
In die kombuis lees ek eerder as in die tuin.

Why do we use the definite article die before kombuis and tuin? Is it always necessary?

When referring to a specific, known place (“the kitchen,” “the garden”), Afrikaans requires die. Omitting it would be ungrammatical unless those words form part of a proper name.

How do you pronounce kombuis and tuin?

– kombuis: KOM-boyss (the ui sounds like the “oy” in “boy”)
– tuin: TOYN (again with the “oy” sound)