Breakdown of My baas maak ’n grap oor die verkeerslig wat nooit groen word nie.
die
the
my
my
nie
not
’n
a
maak
to make
word
to become
oor
about
groen
green
die verkeerslig
the traffic light
die grap
the joke
die baas
the boss
wat
that
nooit
never
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Questions & Answers about My baas maak ’n grap oor die verkeerslig wat nooit groen word nie.
What does baas mean in this sentence?
baas means “boss” or “employer.” It’s a common Afrikaans word for the person in charge at work or home.
What is ’n, and why is there an apostrophe?
’n is the indefinite article (“a” or “an” in English). It’s a contraction of een (one). The apostrophe shows the dropped e, but you still pronounce it like “uhn.”
What does maak ’n grap literally and idiomatically mean?
Literally it’s “make a joke.” Idiomatically it means “to joke” or “to make fun (of something).” So maak ’n grap oor X = “joke about X.”
What role does oor play in maak ’n grap oor die verkeerslig?
oor is the preposition “about” or “concerning.” It links the act of joking (maak ’n grap) to its topic (die verkeerslig).
What is verkeerslig, and how are such compounds formed in Afrikaans?
verkeerslig means “traffic light.” Afrikaans often forms compound nouns by simply joining two words: here verkeer (“traffic”) + lig (“light”).
What does wat introduce in the clause wat nooit groen word nie?
wat is the relative pronoun “that” (or “which”). It introduces a descriptive subordinate clause about die verkeerslig.
Why are there two negatives—nooit and nie—in wat nooit groen word nie?
Afrikaans uses double negation for emphasis and correctness. nooit (never) negates the time aspect, and the final nie negates the verb phrase. Both are required to form a proper negative clause.
Where does nie go in a negative clause, and why is it at the end here?
In Afrikaans negative constructions you put the main negator (like nie) at the end of the clause. Everything that’s being negated (nooit, niks, nooit meer, etc.) precedes it, and nie closes the clause.
What’s the basic word order in My baas maak ’n grap oor die verkeerslig wat nooit groen word nie?
The main clause follows Subject–Verb–Object (SVO):
• Subject: My baas
• Verb: maak
• Object: ’n grap oor die verkeerslig
Then follows the relative clause introduced by wat, with its own SVO order plus the final nie for negation.