Kan u vir my sê of hierdie adres op die brief moet wees?

Kan u means Can you.

The pronoun u is the polite or formal way to say you in Afrikaans. It is used when speaking respectfully to someone you do not know well, a customer, an older person, or in formal writing.

So:

• Kan u ...? = formal / polite Can you ...?
• Kan jy ...? = informal singular Can you ...?

This sentence is polite and appropriate in a formal context.

Yes, if you are speaking informally to one person.

Compare:

• Kan u vir my sê ...? = formal / polite
• Kan jy vir my sê ...? = informal, to one person
• Kan julle vir my sê ...? = informal, to more than one person

So the grammar pattern stays the same; only the pronoun changes depending on who you are addressing.

That is a very common question.

In Afrikaans, vir often marks the indirect object, especially with people. So vir my sê literally looks like say for me, but in natural English it simply means tell me.

So:

• sê vir my = tell me
• gee vir my = give me
• wys vir my = show me

In everyday Afrikaans, this use of vir is very common.

Yes, Kan u sê vir my ... is possible, and native speakers do use both patterns.

However, Kan u vir my sê ... is very natural and common. It keeps vir my close to the verb phrase and sounds smooth in a polite request.

So both can work, but the version in your sentence is completely normal.

Here of means if or whether, not or in the usual English sense.

In Afrikaans, of can introduce an indirect yes/no question:

• Ek weet nie of hy kom nie. = I don’t know if/whether he is coming.
• Kan u vir my sê of ... = Can you tell me if/whether ...

This is a very important use of of in Afrikaans.

Hierdie means this.

So:

• hierdie adres = this address
• daardie adres = that address

Afrikaans does not change hierdie for gender, and nouns do not have grammatical gender the way they do in some other languages. So hierdie works the same regardless of the noun.

Brief usually means letter.

In this sentence, it most naturally refers to a physical letter or official document. Depending on context, it could mean:

• a letter you send
• a formal written document
• sometimes the wording may suggest the address should appear on the letter itself

So op die brief probably means on the letter or on the document.

Op die brief means on the letter, so it suggests the address should appear on the letter/document itself, such as in the heading, at the top, or on the outside.

If you said in die brief, that would mean in the letter, focusing more on the contents of the text.

So the choice between op and in depends on what exactly you mean:

• op die brief = on the letter/document
• in die brief = in the text/content of the letter

Because the part after of is a subordinate clause, and Afrikaans usually sends the verb elements to the end of a subordinate clause.

The clause is:

• of hierdie adres op die brief moet wees

The normal main-clause order would be different, but after of, Afrikaans pushes the verb phrase to the end.

Also, moet wees is a modal construction:

• moet = must / should
• wees = be

So together:

• moet wees = must be / should be

Because moet is a modal verb and wees is the main verb.

• moet expresses obligation, necessity, or what is required
• wees means to be

So:

• dit moet wees = it must be
• die adres moet op die brief wees = the address must be on the letter

This is similar to English, where you also use two verbs:

• should be
• must be

It can often be understood as either must or should, depending on context.

In practical usage, moet often covers both strong obligation and expected requirement. In this sentence, English might translate it as either:

• must be
• should be

If the context is an official requirement, must may fit better. If it is more about what is expected or recommended, should may sound better.

Yes. It is natural, polite, and useful, especially in formal situations.

Kan u vir my sê of hierdie adres op die brief moet wees? is a good way to ask for clarification.

It sounds like:

• respectful
• slightly formal
• appropriate in customer service, administration, or official communication

An informal version would be:

• Kan jy vir my sê of hierdie adres op die brief moet wees?

Yes, definitely.

You could say:

• Kan u asseblief vir my sê of hierdie adres op die brief moet wees?

That makes it even more polite: Can you please tell me whether this address should be on the letter?

In Afrikaans, asseblief is often added to polite requests, just like please in English.

In careful or formal speech, u is often pronounced like a long uu sound.

In everyday speech, especially in some varieties, speakers may avoid u altogether and use jy in informal situations. But in formal language, u is still the standard written form.

So as a learner, it is enough to know:

• u = formal you
• it is especially common in writing and polite speech

Yes, and that is a very good learning strategy.

Here is the structure:

• Kan u = Can you
• vir my sê = tell me
• of = whether / if
• hierdie adres = this address
• op die brief = on the letter
• moet wees = should be / must be

So the sentence is built very logically:

Can you tell me whether this address should be on the letter?