Breakdown of Indien jy ’n beter oplossing het, gee my jou advies asseblief.
jy
you
hê
to have
jou
your
asseblief
please
my
me
beter
better
’n
a
gee
to give
indien
if
die oplossing
the solution
die advies
the advice
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Questions & Answers about Indien jy ’n beter oplossing het, gee my jou advies asseblief.
What is the difference between indien and as when both can mean “if”?
Both words translate as “if,” but indien is more formal or literary and is often found in written language and polite requests. as is more common in everyday speech. In practice, you could say either “Indien jy ’n beter oplossing het…” or “As jy ’n beter oplossing het…”, but the former sounds a bit more formal.
Why is the verb het placed at the end of the clause “jy ’n beter oplossing het”?
In Afrikaans, subordinate clauses introduced by words like indien, omdat, terwyl, etc., follow the “verb-final” rule. That means the finite verb (het) moves to the end of that clause. So “Indien jy ’n beter oplossing het…” is correct word order.
What does ’n stand for, and why is there an apostrophe?
’n is the indefinite article “a” or “an,” short for een. The apostrophe shows that the first e of een has been dropped. It’s always lowercase and written with the apostrophe: ’n boek, ’n idee, etc.
Why is there no article before advies when we say “jou advies”?
When you use a possessive pronoun (my, jou, sy, ons, etc.) before a noun, you do not add ’n or die. The possession itself makes the noun definite. So jou advies means “your advice” without any extra article.
Why does the main clause start with gee, and why is jy omitted?
This is an imperative (a command/request). Imperatives in Afrikaans begin with the verb (gee = “give”) and normally omit the subject pronoun jy because it’s understood. So “Gee my jou advies asseblief” literally means “[You] give me your advice, please.”
Could I also say “gee vir my jou advies” instead of “gee my jou advies”?
Yes, you can. “Gee vir my jou advies” uses vir + indirect object, while “gee my jou advies” uses the dative (indirect) object directly. Both are grammatically correct, though “gee my jou advies” is slightly more direct and common in spoken Afrikaans.
What’s the difference between advies and raad?
Both mean “advice,” but raad often implies personal counsel or guidance (“I asked for his raad”), whereas advies can sound more formal or expert-driven (“legal advies,” “financial advies”). In everyday use they’re often interchangeable.
Why is asseblief placed at the end of the sentence?
In Afrikaans, polite particles like asseblief (“please”) typically come after the object or at the very end of the clause. You could front it (“Asseblief, gee my jou advies”), but the most natural spot is at the end: “…asusblief.”