Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: U kan die nuwe projekplan in die kantoor lees, Meneer, maar bring asseblief u woordeboek saam. - You can read the new project plan in the office, Sir, but please bring your dictionary along.

u is the formal second-person pronoun in Afrikaans. It’s used to show respect (similar to saying “Sir” or “Ma’am” in English). The informal singular pronoun is jy, and the informal/plural is julle. In a polite or business setting you’ll nearly always use u.

Why is the verb kan placed immediately after u, and why is lees at the end of the clause?

Afrikaans follows the V2 rule with modal verbs: the finite verb (kan) must be in second position after the subject (U), and the non-finite main verb (lees) goes to the end. So the order is:

Subject (U)
Finite verb (kan)
Objects/adverbials (e.g. die nuwe projekplan, in die kantoor)
Non-finite verb (lees)

Can kan here mean permission or only ability?

In Afrikaans kan covers both ability (“can you read?”) and permission (“may you read?”). Unlike English, you wouldn’t normally use mag for permission in everyday speech—kan is fine for asking or giving permission.

What’s going on with in die kantoor? Could we say something like op kantoor instead?

in die kantoor literally means “inside the office (room).” If you say op kantoor, it usually means “at the office” in a more general sense (e.g. “I am at my workplace”). Here the speaker wants the learner to read the plan inside the office, so in die kantoor is more precise.

Why is Meneer placed after the clause with commas before and after it?

Meneer is a direct form of address (vocative), equivalent to “Sir” or “Mr.” in English. You set it off with commas because you’re speaking directly to someone. You could also start with Meneer, u kan …, but putting it in the middle or end is perfectly acceptable.

What does maar do in the second clause? Doesn’t it just mean “but”?

Yes, maar means but, but it also softens the instruction that follows. It links the two actions: “You may read…, but please bring your dictionary along.” Grammatically it’s just the coordinating conjunction between two main clauses.

Why is bring … saam split up rather than saambring?

saambring is a separable verb (“to bring along”). In the present tense the main verb bring stays in second position in its clause, and the prefix saam goes to the end. Hence bring … saam.

Why does asseblief come between maar and u woordeboek? Could it be somewhere else?

asseblief means “please” and can be placed fairly flexibly. Here it sits right before the object u woordeboek, softening the request. You could also say maar bring u woordeboek asseblief saam, but placing asseblief earlier often feels more polite and natural.

Is woordeboek singular or plural? There’s no article before it.

woordeboek is singular (“dictionary”). The possessive u stands in place of an article: u woordeboek = “your dictionary.” If it were plural you’d say u woordeboeke, and if you wanted “a dictionary” you’d say ’n woordeboek.

Why is nuwe projekplan combined into one word projekplan?

Afrikaans commonly forms compound nouns by fusing related nouns without spaces. projek + plan becomes projekplan (“project plan”). This is standard spelling practice in Afrikaans.