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In die boodskap noem hulle die hele familie.

In die boodskap noem hulle die hele familie.
In the message they mention the whole family.
FromLesson 11inHardcore Afrikaans

Questions & Answers about In die boodskap noem hulle die hele familie.

Why is die used twice in the sentence?
The first die belongs to the prepositional phrase in die boodskap (“in the message”) and marks “boodskap” as definite (“the message”). The second die is the definite article before hele familie (“the whole family”). In Afrikaans you repeat die for each definite noun.
Why does the verb noem come before hulle?

Afrikaans follows a verb-second (V2) word order. When you start a sentence with an adverbial phrase like in die boodskap, the finite verb (noem) must be the second element, pushing the subject (hulle) to third position:

  1. In die boodskap
  2. noem (verb)
  3. hulle (subject)
What exactly does noem mean here? Is it “call” or “mention”?
noem literally means “to name” or “to mention.” In this context it’s best translated as “mention.” It doesn’t mean “to phone” or “to call someone on the phone.”
Why is hele spelled with an -e at the end? Could it be heel familie?
When an adjective precedes a singular, definite noun it takes an -e ending in Afrikaans. Since familie is definite (preceded by die), heel becomes hele. You would only write heel familie in very rare poetic cases or fixed expressions.
How do you pronounce boodskap?

boodskap is pronounced roughly like BOOT-skahp:

  • oo = a long “oo” as in English food
  • d before s is pronounced like a quick t, so boodskap sounds like BOOT-skahp
    Accent is on the first syllable.
Can I use gesin instead of familie?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

  • gesin typically means the nuclear family (parents + children).
  • familie can include extended relatives (aunts, uncles, grandparents).
    If you really mean “the entire extended family,” stick with die hele familie.
How would I say “In a message they mention the whole family” instead of “the message”?

Replace the definite article die with the indefinite ’n: In ’n boodskap noem hulle die hele familie.

How do I turn this into a yes/no question?

Move the verb to the very front (verb-first for questions): Noem hulle in die boodskap die hele familie?
Literally: “Mention they in the message the whole family?”

How do I negate the sentence?

Afrikaans uses a double nie for negation: In die boodskap noem hulle nie die hele familie nie.
(This means “In the message they do not mention the whole family.”)

Could I express the same idea in the passive voice?

Yes. Use word + past participle: In die boodskap word die hele familie genoem.
(“In the message the whole family is mentioned.”)

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