Ek ruik rook in die kombuis.

I smell smoke in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Ek ruik rook in die kombuis.

• ek: I
• in: in
• ruik: to smell
• die kombuis: the kitchen
• die rook: the smoke

Questions & Answers about Ek ruik rook in die kombuis.

Why is the verb ruik used here and what exactly does it mean?

ruik is the Afrikaans verb meaning “to smell” (i.e. to perceive an odor). It corresponds directly to the English verb smell. You’d use ruik whenever you’re talking about actively detecting a scent:

• Ek ruik vars brood. (I smell fresh bread.)
• Ruik jy die blomme? (Do you smell the flowers?)

What is the difference between rook and reuk? They look very similar.

Although they’re pronounced almost the same, they have different meanings and spellings:

• rook (with “oo”) is the noun smoke, the stuff rising from fire.
• reuk (with “eu”) is the noun smell or odor.
• The verb ruik (with “ui”) is “to smell.”

So in Ek ruik rook you’re smelling smoke (rook), not a smell (reuk).

Why is there no article before rook? Could I say ’n rook?

In Afrikaans, like in English, smoke is an uncountable (mass) noun. You normally omit the indefinite article:

• Ek ruik rook. (I smell smoke.)
  You would only use ’n if you mean a single puff or cloud of smoke, and even then you’d usually add a diminutive:
• ’n rookpluimpie (a little puff of smoke)

Why is die used before kombuis? Could I use ’n kombuis instead?

die is the definite article “the,” while ’n is “a/an.” You say in die kombuis (“in the kitchen”) when you refer to a specific kitchen (e.g. the one you’re in). If you meant any kitchen in general, you could say:

• Ek ruik rook in ’n kombuis. (I smell smoke in a kitchen.)

What is the word order in Ek ruik rook in die kombuis? Can I move in die kombuis to the front?

Standard Afrikaans word order is Subject–Verb–Object–Adverbial:

1. Ek (Subject)
2. ruik (Verb)
3. rook (Object)
4. in die kombuis (Adverbial phrase of place)

You can front the adverbial for emphasis, but Afrikaans follows the “verb-second” rule: the finite verb still stays in second position. So you’d say:

• In die kombuis ruik ek rook. (In the kitchen I smell smoke.)

How would you turn this sentence into a yes/no question: “Do you smell smoke in the kitchen?”

Invert the verb and subject:
Ruik jy rook in die kombuis?

Why is Ek capitalized here? Do pronouns get capitalized in Afrikaans?

Afrikaans only capitalizes the first word of a sentence (and proper names). Ek is capitalized here simply because it starts the sentence. If you used ek in the middle, it would be lowercase:

• “Vanaand ruik ek iets vreemd.”

How do you pronounce ruik, rook, and kombuis?

• ruik: the “ui” is a diphthong roughly like German eu in “neu,” so it sounds like /rœy(k)/.
• rook: the “oo” is a long uː (like English “moon”), so /r-oo-k/.
• kombuis: kom is /kɔm/ + buis is /bœys/, giving [kɔmˈbœys].