Die rekening is laag, maar ons gee tog ’n fooi omdat die kelner vriendelik is.

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Breakdown of Die rekening is laag, maar ons gee tog ’n fooi omdat die kelner vriendelik is.

• wees: to be
• maar: but
• ’n: a

Questions & Answers about Die rekening is laag, maar ons gee tog ’n fooi omdat die kelner vriendelik is.

Why does the sentence use die twice: die rekening and die kelner?

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the. Afrikaans uses die for singular and plural nouns, and it does not change for gender.

So:

• die rekening = the bill
• die kelner = the waiter

Unlike languages such as German or Dutch, Afrikaans articles are much simpler.

What does rekening mean here? Is it always bill?

In this sentence, rekening means bill or check, as in a restaurant bill.

More generally, rekening can also mean:

• account
• invoice
• statement

So the exact meaning depends on context. In a restaurant sentence like this one, die rekening is naturally understood as the bill.

Why is laag used for the bill?