Breakdown of Die leerling vra ’n vraag in die klaslokaal.
in
in
die vraag
the question
vra
to ask
’n
a
die klaslokaal
the classroom
die leerling
the student
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Questions & Answers about Die leerling vra ’n vraag in die klaslokaal.
What is the function of die in this sentence?
die is the definite article in Afrikaans, equivalent to English the. It doesn’t change for gender or number, so it’s used with both singular and plural nouns.
What is ’n and why is it written with an apostrophe?
’n is the indefinite article, meaning a or an. It’s a reduced form of een (one). The apostrophe indicates the missing e from een.
Why isn’t the verb vra inflected for third person singular?
Unlike English or Dutch, Afrikaans verbs (except wees “to be”) don’t change their form for person or number in the present tense. So vra stays the same for I, you, he/she, we, etc.
How do you pronounce vra?
Pronunciation is roughly frah ([frɑː]). In many South African accents the v is realized as [f], but some speakers use [v]. The a is long, similar to the “a” in English father.
Can you explain leerling vs student?
leerling literally means pupil or learner, usually in primary or secondary school. student is generally reserved for someone attending a university or college.
How do you form compounds like klaslokaal?
Afrikaans commonly joins related nouns into one word without hyphens. Here, klas (class) + lokaal (room) → klaslokaal (classroom).
Can I use a pronoun instead of die leerling? How?
Yes. Replace die leerling with Hy (he) or Sy (she). For example:
Hy vra ’n vraag in die klaslokaal.
What’s the difference between the verb vra and the noun vraag?
The verb vra means to ask. The noun vraag (with double a) means question. The extra a in the noun marks a long vowel in a closed syllable.