Ek lees die e-pos.

I

Breakdown of Ek lees die e-pos.

• lees: to read
• die: the
• die e-pos: the email

Questions & Answers about Ek lees die e-pos.

What does ek mean, and must I always include it?

ek means I. Afrikaans is not a pro-drop language, so you almost always include the subject pronoun even when context makes it clear.

Why is lees the same for I, you, and he/she?

In Afrikaans present tense, verbs do not conjugate for person or number. You use the base form for all subjects.

Does Ek lees die e-pos mean I read or I am reading?

Afrikaans uses a single simple present tense for both habitual and ongoing actions. Add context or adverbs (e.g. nou = now) to show continuous aspect:
Ek lees nou die e-pos.

What is die, and does Afrikaans have different forms of the for gender or number?

die is the definite article (= the) used for singular and plural, with no gender distinctions.
Examples: die boek, die boeke; die man, die manne.