Breakdown of Die kinders speel met die nuwe speelgoed op die bank en lag hard.
die
the
nuut
new
en
and
speel
to play
met
with
die kind
the child
op
on
lag
to laugh
die speelgoed
the toy
die bank
the couch
hard
loudly
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Questions & Answers about Die kinders speel met die nuwe speelgoed op die bank en lag hard.
What is the function and translation of die in this sentence? Is it always used the same way?
The word die is the definite article in Afrikaans, equivalent to English the. It does not change for gender or number—whether the noun is singular or plural, die remains the same. (Note: die can also appear as a demonstrative or relative pronoun in other contexts, but here it simply marks a definite noun.)
How is the plural of kind formed to become kinders, and are there general patterns for plurals in Afrikaans?
Afrikaans nouns typically form the plural by adding -e, -s, or -ers. Unfortunately there’s no single rule that covers every word, but here are broad guidelines:
- Add -e to many monosyllabic nouns (e.g. hond → honde).
- Add -s if the noun ends in an unstressed vowel or certain consonant clusters (e.g. foto → foto’s, motor → motors).
- Some take -ers, especially short words that end in a consonant (e.g. kind → kinders).
In this case, kind becomes kinders with the -ers ending. Over time you’ll build a feel for which pattern a noun follows.
Why is the adjective nuwe ending in -e here, instead of the base form nuut?
In Afrikaans, attributive adjectives (those placed directly before a noun) usually take an -e ending when the noun phrase is made definite (for example by die) or is otherwise “marked.” The base adjective is nuut, but because we have the definite article die before nuwe speelgoed, the adjective takes the extra -e to become nuwe.
What does met mean in speel met die nuwe speelgoed, and how does it function?
The preposition met means with. When you say speel met, you translate it literally as play with. It introduces the thing or person someone is playing with. You can use it with objects (speel met ’n bal – play with a ball) or people/animals (speel met die hond – play with the dog).
In this sentence, does bank mean a financial institution, a bench, or a couch?
Here bank means a couch or sofa. Afrikaans bank can also mean bench (e.g. a park bench) or bank (financial institution), but context tells us the children are indoors playing on furniture – so it’s the couch.
Why is hard used to describe how they laugh, and does it change form as an adverb?
In Afrikaans many adverbs are identical in form to adjectives. Here hard functions as an adverb meaning loudly (more literally “hard”). There is no separate “-ly” ending in Afrikaans; you simply use hard in both adjectival and adverbial roles.
Why doesn’t the second verb lag require te before it? Wouldn’t an infinitive marker be needed?
Afrikaans uses te (and often om) when you form a subordinate infinitive clause (e.g. om te lag = to laugh). In our sentence, lag is not in a subordinate clause but is simply the second main verb joined by the coordinating conjunction en (“and”). Coordinated main verbs do not take te, so you have …en lag hard instead of …en om te lag hard.