Die pakket bevat toestelle vir die fabriek se rooktoetse.

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Questions & Answers about Die pakket bevat toestelle vir die fabriek se rooktoetse.

Why is die used twice in this sentence?

In Afrikaans every definite noun phrase normally takes its own die. That’s why you see:

  • die pakket (“the package”)
  • die fabriek se rooktoetse (“the factory’s smoke tests”)

How do you form possession in Afrikaans with fabriek se?

Afrikaans uses the particle se after the possessor, rather than an apostrophe-s. Structure:
[Definite article] + [possessor noun] + se + [possessed noun]
So die fabriek se rooktoetse literally means the factory’s smoke tests.


What does bevat mean and why doesn’t it change for person or number?

bevat is the present‐tense verb “contains.” In Afrikaans (unlike English with -s in he contains):

  • The present tense is the same for all persons (ek, jy, hy/sy, ons, julle, hulle).
  • There is no extra ending for singular or plural.

How do you form the plural of toestel to get toestelle?

Afrikaans plurals generally use -e or -s. For toestel (device):

  1. The vowel in the stressed syllable is short, so the final consonant doubles: -l → -ll.
  2. You add -e: toestel → toestelle.

Why is rooktoetse the plural of rooktoets, instead of rooktoetses?

rooktoets is a compound (smoke + test). In Afrikaans compounds ending in -toets take -e for the plural, not -es. So:
rooktoets → rooktoetse.


Are compounds like rooktoetse ever hyphenated in Afrikaans?

Most noun compounds are written as one closed word. Hyphens are used sparingly, usually only to avoid confusion or in certain foreign-word imports. Standard compounds like rooktoetse stay closed.


Why doesn’t Afrikaans move the verb to the second position like German’s V2 rule?

Afrikaans follows a strict Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) order in main clauses. There is no verb-second requirement. So you get:
Die pakket (S) bevat (V) toestelle … (O).