Breakdown of Die seun is dankbaar wanneer hy sy huiswerk vinnig klaar kry.
hy
he
wees
to be
sy
his
wanneer
when
vinnig
quickly
die seun
the son
die huiswerk
the homework
dankbaar
grateful
klaar kry
to finish
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Questions & Answers about Die seun is dankbaar wanneer hy sy huiswerk vinnig klaar kry.
What does dankbaar mean and what part of speech is it?
Dankbaar is an adjective meaning “grateful.” It describes the feeling or attitude of someone who appreciates something.
Why does the verb kry appear at the end of the clause after wanneer?
In Afrikaans subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like wanneer, the finite verb moves to the end. So in wanneer hy sy huiswerk vinnig klaar kry, the verb kry is placed last.
Can wanneer mean “if,” or is it only used for “when”?
Primarily, wanneer means “when” in a temporal sense. To express “if” (a condition), Afrikaans uses as. Using wanneer for “if” would sound odd or ambiguous.
What is the literal translation of klaar kry and how does it differ from klaar wees?
Literally, klaar means “finished” and kry means “get,” so klaar kry is “to get something finished” or “to complete something.” Klaar wees (“to be finished”) focuses on the state of being done rather than the act of finishing.
Why is sy used for “his” instead of another word?
In Afrikaans, sy is the possessive pronoun for “his.” The pronoun for “her” is haar. Here sy refers back to seun (“boy”) to indicate that the homework belongs to him.
Is huiswerk singular or plural and how is it treated grammatically?
Huiswerk is an uncountable noun (like “homework” in English). It remains singular in form and always takes singular agreement.
How do you pronounce huiswerk in Afrikaans?
Huiswerk is pronounced roughly as hœy-sverk. The ui sounds like the “oy” in “boy” but more rounded, and the w in werk is pronounced like a soft “v.”
Why do adjectives like dankbaar not change form for gender or number?
In Afrikaans, adjectives generally stay the same regardless of gender or number of the noun they modify. So dankbaar remains unchanged whether describing a singular or plural subject.