Breakdown of Die beste grap wen die eerste prys in die kompetisie.
die
the
in
in
beste
best
die grap
the joke
die kompetisie
the competition
wen
to win
eerste
first
die prys
the prize
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Questions & Answers about Die beste grap wen die eerste prys in die kompetisie.
What does the article Die mean in this sentence?
Die is the definite article in Afrikaans, equivalent to English the. It does not change for number or gender.
What does beste mean, and how is the superlative formed in Afrikaans?
Beste is the superlative form of goed (good) and means best. In Afrikaans you form the superlative by placing die before the adjective and adding -ste to the base adjective.
Why is die used twice (die beste grap and die eerste prys)?
Each definite noun phrase requires its own die. Die beste grap is the best joke, and die eerste prys is the first prize. The second die marks a new definite phrase rather than repeating the same one.
What does the verb wen mean, and does it change form?
Wen means to win. In the present tense (and most other tenses) Afrikaans verbs do not change form for person or number; it stays wen for ek, jy, hy/sy, ons, hulle, etc.
What is the word order of this sentence?
Afrikaans main clauses follow Subject-Verb-Object, with other elements like prepositional phrases typically at the end:
Subject: Die beste grap
Verb: wen
Object: die eerste prys
Prepositional Phrase: in die kompetisie
How do ordinal numbers work—why eerste for “first”?
Ordinals in Afrikaans are generally formed by adding -de or -ste to the cardinal number: tweede (second), derde (third), tiende (tenth). Eerste is an irregular form meaning first.
What does in die kompetisie mean, and why is in used?
In die kompetisie means in the competition, where in indicates inclusion or participation within an event. You would not use op or another preposition here.
Why is kompetisie spelled with a k?
Afrikaans orthography uses k for the /k/ sound and adapts loanwords accordingly. English competition is respelled kompetisie in Afrikaans.
Can I replace wen with kry here?
You can say Die beste grap kry die eerste prys to mean The best joke gets the first prize, but wen specifically conveys winning in a contest, while kry simply means to get or receive, changing the nuance.
Are there gender distinctions or changes in die?
Afrikaans has no grammatical gender; die is invariable and used for all nouns, singular or plural. No changes in form.