Breakdown of Ek werk in ’n nuwe kantoor naby die stadion.
ek
I
in
in
nuwe
new
werk
to work
’n
a
naby
near
die kantoor
the office
die stadion
the stadium
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Questions & Answers about Ek werk in ’n nuwe kantoor naby die stadion.
What does the apostrophe in ’n indicate?
In Afrikaans ’n is the indefinite article (equivalent to English a or an). It’s a contraction of een (“one”), so you write an apostrophe before the vowel to show that it’s been shortened.
How do you pronounce ’n?
You usually pronounce it as a quick schwa-plus-n, roughly [ən]. In very casual speech it can sound like just [n], but it’s never a full een.
Why is the adjective nuwe spelled with an -e instead of just nuut?
The base form of “new” in Afrikaans is nuut. When you use an adjective directly before a noun (attributive position), most adjectives take an -e ending. So nuut + -e → nuwe (“new …”).
Why is there no continuous tense (“am working”) in Ek werk …?
Afrikaans uses the simple present (werk) for both habitual and ongoing actions. If you want to stress that it’s happening right now, you can use Ek is besig om te werk (“I am busy working”), but Ek werk covers “I work” and “I am working.”
Why do we use in to say “work in an office” instead of op or by?
In indicates being inside a space (“inside an office”).
• By usually means “at” in the sense of working for or being at an organization (Ek werk by ’n maatskappy).
• Op means “on” or “at” a surface/level (Ek staan op die dak), so it wouldn’t fit “office.”
What does naby mean and how is it different from by?
Naby means near or close to (indicating proximity).
By can mean at, with, or “next to,” but for near in the sense of “not far away,” you always use naby.
Why is there a definite article die before stadion but an indefinite ’n before kantoor?
Die is the definite article (the). You use die stadion because you’re referring to a specific stadium you both know about. ’n is the indefinite article (a/an), so ’n nuwe kantoor simply means “some new office.”
Can I start the sentence with naby die stadion? What happens to the word order?
Yes. Afrikaans follows a verb-second (V2) rule. If you put naby die stadion at the front, the finite verb must come second:
Naby die stadion werk ek in ’n nuwe kantoor.
Why aren’t common nouns like kantoor and stadion capitalized in Afrikaans?
In Afrikaans you only capitalize the first word of a sentence and proper nouns (names, places, etc.). Common nouns remain lowercase, unlike English where you sometimes see different rules (e.g. German capitalizes every noun).
How do you pronounce stadion?
In Afrikaans it’s pronounced roughly [ˈsta.di.ɔn], with the primary stress on the first syllable and the -ion as two separate syllables.