Breakdown of Die belofte wat jy gee, is belangrik.
jy
you
wees
to be
belangrik
important
gee
to give
wat
that
die belofte
the promise
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Questions & Answers about Die belofte wat jy gee, is belangrik.
What is the role of wat in Die belofte wat jy gee, is belangrik?
Wat is a relative pronoun meaning “that” or “which.” It introduces the subordinate clause wat jy gee (“that you give”) and refers back to belofte (“promise”), linking the two parts into one coherent idea.
Why does the verb gee appear at the end of the clause wat jy gee?
In Afrikaans, subordinate clauses (including relative clauses introduced by wat) follow a verb-final word order. That means the finite verb—in this case gee (“give”)—moves to the end of its clause.
Why is there a comma after gee?
Although standard Afrikaans typically avoids a comma between subject and verb, writers often insert one for clarity when the subject is long or contains its own clause. Here, Die belofte wat jy gee is a complex subject, so a comma before the predicate is belangrik makes the sentence easier to parse.
What’s the difference between jy and jou, and why is jy used here?
- Jy = second-person singular subject pronoun (“you” as the doer)
- Jou = second-person singular object or possessive form (“you” as receiver, or “your”)
In wat jy gee, jy is the subject of gee, so we use jy rather than jou.
Why is the article die used instead of a conjunction like dat?
Die is the definite article “the,” used to specify a noun. Dat is a conjunction meaning “that” (as in “I know that…”). Since we want “the promise,” we use die belofte, not dat belofte.
How do you pronounce belofte and where is the stress?
Pronounced approximately:
• bə-LOF-tə
• The stress falls on the second syllable LOF.
• The final -e is an unstressed schwa sound ([ə]).
Why is belangrik spelled with -rik instead of -ryk like in Dutch?
Modern Afrikaans orthography has simplified many Dutch spellings. Adjectives that ended in -ryk in Dutch now use -rik in Afrikaans (e.g. belangrik, grootlik, reekslik).
Could I say Jou belofte is belangrik instead?
Yes.
• Jou belofte is belangrik = “Your promise is important.”
• It uses the possessive jou instead of a relative clause.
• The nuance shifts from “the promise that you make/give” (emphasis on the action) to simply “your promise” (possession).