Breakdown of Ek gee jou nog 'n kans om die saak reg te maak.
ek
I
die
the
om
to
jou
you
gee
to give
nog ’n
another
die kans
the chance
die saak
the matter
maak reg
to set right
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Questions & Answers about Ek gee jou nog 'n kans om die saak reg te maak.
What does nog mean in nog ’n kans?
In this context nog means another or one more, so nog ’n kans translates to another chance (literally “still a/an chance”).
Why is the indefinite article written as ’n with an apostrophe and how do you pronounce it?
The Afrikaans indefinite article is a shortened form of een and is always written ’n. It’s pronounced like the “uh” in English up (almost a schwa sound).
Why is jou placed directly after gee without using aan?
Afrikaans allows a double-object construction much like English (I give you something). So Ek gee jou iets is perfectly natural for “I give you something.” You can add aan (Ek gee dit aan jou) to emphasize the indirect object, but it isn’t required here.
What does die saak mean in this sentence?
die saak literally means the case or the matter, but idiomatically here it refers to the situation or the issue that needs to be fixed: “the matter” or “the problem.”
Why do we use om + te + verb in om die saak reg te maak?
Afrikaans expresses purpose or “in order to” with om plus an infinitive. All verbs in such an om-clause need te before the main verb. So om die saak reg te maak means to make the matter right or in order to fix the issue.
Why is it reg te maak and not just regmaak?
regmaak is a separable verb (particle reg + main verb maak). In an om-clause you split the particle and insert te between them: reg te maak.
How does the word order of Ek gee jou nog ’n kans om die saak reg te maak compare to English?
Afrikaans is a V2-language: the finite verb stays in second position. Here the order is Subject (Ek) – Verb (gee) – Indirect object (jou) – Noun phrase/modifier (nog ’n kans) – Purpose clause (om die saak reg te maak). In English: I (S) give (V) you (IO) another chance (DO) to make the matter right (purpose).
Why can’t we say ’n kans nog instead of nog ’n kans?
nog here functions as a determiner modifying the whole noun phrase ’n kans. Determiners in Afrikaans must come before the article and noun. Placing nog after kans would sound like an adverb meaning “still” rather than “another.”