Word
Die katjie spring van die tafeltjie af en kyk na die hondjie.
Meaning
The kitten jumps off the little table and looks at the puppy.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Die katjie spring van die tafeltjie af en kyk na die hondjie.
en
and
van
from
die hondjie
the puppy
die tafeltjie
the little table
Questions & Answers about Die katjie spring van die tafeltjie af en kyk na die hondjie.
What does the suffix -tjie do in katjie, tafeltjie, and hondjie?
The suffix -tjie is the diminutive ending in Afrikaans. It expresses smallness or affection:
- kat → katjie (kitten or little cat)
- tafel → tafeltjie (small table)
- hond → hondjie (puppy or little dog)
Depending on the noun’s ending, you may see slight spelling changes, but -tjie is the standard for forming diminutives.
Why does each noun have the article die in front of it?
die is the definite article in Afrikaans (equivalent to the in English). It doesn’t change for singular/plural:
- die katjie = the kitten
- die tafeltjie = the little table
- die hondjie = the puppy
Use ’n (pronounced uhn) for an indefinite article (a or an).
What does spring van die tafeltjie af mean, and why both van and af?