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Sy meet nou die gewig van die pakket.

Sy meet nou die gewig van die pakket.
She measures the weight of the package now.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Afrikaans

Breakdown of Sy meet nou die gewig van die pakket.

sy
she
nou
now
van
of
meet
to measure
die gewig
the weight
die pakket
the package

Questions & Answers about Sy meet nou die gewig van die pakket.

What does meet mean in this sentence?
In Afrikaans, meet means “to measure.” It’s a false friend for English speakers, because it does not mean “to meet.”
Why is meet die gewig van die pakket used instead of weeg die pakket?
  • meet is the general verb for measuring any quantity (length, volume, weight, etc.).
  • weeg specifically means “to weigh” an object.
    You could also say Sy weeg nou die pakket (“She’s weighing the package”). If you want to focus on “measuring the weight,” you use meet die gewig.
How do you express “is measuring” (the present continuous) in Afrikaans?

Afrikaans does not have a special progressive tense. The simple present covers both “measures” and “is measuring.”

  • Sy meet nou… can be translated as “She measures now…” or “She is now measuring…”
    If you want extra emphasis on the ongoing action, you can use besig om:
    Sy is nou besig om die gewig van die pakket te meet.
Why is the time adverb nou placed after the verb instead of at the start?

In a main clause Afrikaans typically follows V-T-O order:
Verb (meet) – Time adverb (nou) – Object (die gewig van die pakket).
You can front nou for emphasis, but then the verb and subject invert:
Nou meet sy die gewig van die pakket.

Why are there two die articles in die gewig van die pakket?

Each die is the definite article for its noun:

  • die gewig = “the weight”
  • die pakket = “the package”
    Afrikaans uses die with both nouns here.
How do you form “the weight of the package” in Afrikaans?

You use van for “of.”
die gewig van die pakket = “the weight of the package.”
Unlike English apostrophe-s, genitives are normally formed with van.

Could I use the ’s-genitive instead, like die pakket se gewig?
Yes. die pakket se gewig is also correct and more colloquial. Both forms (“die gewig van die pakket” and “die pakket se gewig”) are acceptable.
What is the direct object in this sentence?
The entire noun phrase die gewig van die pakket is the direct object of meet. You’re measuring that weight.
Can you omit die before gewig or pakket?
No—because you’re referring to a specific weight and a specific package, you need the definite article die before each noun. Omit it only in very general statements (e.g., “Gewig is belangrik.”).
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