Breakdown of My nuuskierige hond ruik aan elke sleutel wat op die tafel lê.
die hond
the dog
die
the
my
my
die tafel
the table
ruik
to smell
op
on
aan
to
elke
every
wat
that
die sleutel
the key
lê
to lie
nuuskierig
curious
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Questions & Answers about My nuuskierige hond ruik aan elke sleutel wat op die tafel lê.
Why does nuuskierige end with -e instead of just nuuskierig?
In Afrikaans adjectives take an -e ending when the noun they modify is definite. Here hond ("dog") is made definite by the possessive pronoun my ("my dog"), so the adjective becomes nuuskierige hond rather than nuuskierig hond.
What’s the function of the preposition aan in ruik aan?
The verb ruik alone means “to smell” in the sense of detecting an odor. To express “to sniff” or “to smell at something,” Afrikaans uses ruik aan + object. So hond ruik aan sleutel literally means “dog sniffs at key.”
Why is elke sleutel singular instead of using a plural form?
Elke translates as “every” or “each” and must be followed by a singular noun. You cannot say elke sleutels. If you want to talk about all keys collectively, you’d use a plural without elke, e.g. al die sleutels (“all the keys”).
How does the relative pronoun wat work in sleutel wat op die tafel lê?
In Afrikaans wat is the relative pronoun for both people and things, equivalent to English “that/which.” It refers back to sleutel and introduces the clause wat op die tafel lê (“that lies on the table”).
Why is lê placed at the end of the clause wat op die tafel lê?
Afrikaans subordinate clauses (including relative clauses) follow a verb-final word order. Once introduced by wat, the finite verb lê moves to the end of that clause.
Why is lê used here instead of verbs like sit or staan?
Lê means “to lie” (to rest in a horizontal position) and is used for objects on flat surfaces. Sit (“to sit”) isn’t used for inanimate objects, and staan (“to stand”) implies a vertical position.
Why is the table introduced with die instead of an indefinite article?
Die is the definite article “the.” We’re referring to a specific, known table. If it were any table, you’d say op ’n tafel (“on a table”) using the indefinite article ’n.
Could I drop the relative pronoun wat and rewrite the sentence more directly?
Yes. You can say:
“My nuuskierige hond ruik aan elke sleutel op die tafel.”
This omits the relative clause structure but still clearly means “My curious dog sniffs every key on the table.”