Ek maak 'n fout.

I make a mistake.

Breakdown of Ek maak 'n fout.

• ek: I
• ’n: a
• maak: to make
• die fout: the mistake

Questions & Answers about Ek maak 'n fout.

Why is Ek always capitalized in Afrikaans, even when it’s not at the beginning of a sentence?

Unlike most other pronouns in Afrikaans, ek is always written with an initial capital E. This is simply an orthographic convention in Afrikaans and has nothing to do with emphasis or the position in the sentence—it’s just how the language works.

Why is 'n used here instead of writing een or just using “a” like in English?

The indefinite article in Afrikaans is 'n, which is a contraction of een (the number “one”). It functions like English a or an. The apostrophe shows that letters have been omitted. You pronounce it as a quick, unstressed schwa—similar to the “a” in about.

How do I pronounce Ek maak ’n fout correctly?

• Ek: /ɛk/ (like “eck”)
• maak: /maːk/ (long “mahk”)
• 'n: /ə/ (a very short schwa)
• fout: /fɑu̯t/ (rhymes with English “bout,” but with an /f/)
  Put it all together: /ɛk maːk ə fɑu̯t/.

Why is the simple present maak used instead of a continuous form like “am making”?