Breakdown of Later ronddraf die katjie en hondjie saam in die stille straat.
die
the
in
in
en
and
saam
together
later
later
stil
quiet
die hondjie
the puppy
die katjie
the kitten
ronddraf
to trot around
die straat
the street
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Questions & Answers about Later ronddraf die katjie en hondjie saam in die stille straat.
What does ronddraf mean?
ronddraf is formed from the prefix rond- (around) and the verb draf (to trot or jog). Together they mean to trot or jog around, i.e. to move about at a gentle, bouncing pace in a roughly circular or meandering path.
Why is ronddraf written as one word rather than separate words rond draf?
In Afrikaans rond- is an inseparable prefix when it combines with verbs (e.g. rondloop, rondkyk, rondborrel). Such compounds are always written without a space because the prefix modifies the verb in a single lexical item.
Why does the verb ronddraf appear immediately after Later instead of after the subject?
Afrikaans follows the V2 (verb-second) word order. When you start a sentence with an adverb of time like Later, the finite verb must come in the second position, pushing the subject (here die katjie en hondjie) into third position.
What role does saam play, and why is it placed where it is?
saam is an adverb meaning “together.” In Afrikaans it typically follows the verb or the verb–object group. Here it comes after the subject phrase, emphasizing that the cat and dog are trotting around jointly in the street.
Why are katjie and hondjie in the diminutive form (-jie)?
The suffix -jie turns a noun into a diminutive, indicating small size or affection.
• kat → katjie (little cat/kitten)
• hond → hondjie (little dog/puppy)
Diminutives are very common in Afrikaans to soften or show fondness.
Why is there only one die article for both katjie and hondjie?
When two singular nouns of the same gender are joined by en (“and”), they can share a single definite article. Saying die katjie en hondjie is equivalent to “the kitten and the puppy.” You could repeat die before hondjie, but it isn’t required.
Why does stille have an -e ending instead of just stil?
With a definite article (die), adjectives take the weak inflection -e. So the adjective stil (“quiet” or “silent”) becomes stille to agree with die straat.
Should there be a comma after Later?
No comma is needed. In Afrikaans a single initial adverb (like Later, Vandag, Eers) does not require a comma before the verb; the V2 order alone signals the structure.