Hierdie stoel is nie baie gemaklik nie, maar daardie bank is gemaklik.

Afrikaans normally uses a two-part negation. In a simple sentence like this, you usually place:

• the first nie after the finite verb
• the second nie near the end of the clause

So:

• is nie baie gemaklik nie = is not very comfortable

The second nie is usually not optional in standard Afrikaans. It is part of the normal grammar.

In a basic main clause, the finite verb comes early in the sentence, and the first nie often follows it.

So:

• Hierdie stoel is nie baie gemaklik nie

follows the common pattern:

• subject + verb + nie + rest + nie

That is why you do not say Hierdie stoel nie is baie gemaklik nie.

• hierdie means this or these
• daardie means that or those

In this sentence:

• Hierdie stoel = this chair
• daardie bank = that couch/sofa

A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans uses the same form for singular and plural:

• hierdie stoel = this chair
• hierdie stoele = these chairs
• daardie bank = that couch
• daardie banke = those couches

Because hierdie and daardie already act as determiners, like English this and that.

Just as English says:

• this chair
• not the this chair

Afrikaans says:

• hierdie stoel
• not die hierdie stoel

So the demonstrative replaces the ordinary article.

No. Afrikaans does not have grammatical gender the way some languages do, and these words do not change form for masculine/feminine/neuter.

They also stay the same in singular and plural:

• hierdie stoel = this chair
• hierdie stoele = these chairs
• daardie bank = that couch
• daardie banke = those couches

So they are very convenient words to learn.

Here baie means very:

• nie baie gemaklik nie = not very comfortable

This is a very common Afrikaans word because it can also mean many or a lot, depending on the sentence.

For example:

• baie gemaklik = very comfortable
• baie stoele = many chairs

So the meaning depends on whether it is describing an adjective, a verb idea, or a noun.

Because here gemaklik is used after the verb is, so it is a predicative adjective.

• Die stoel is gemaklik. = The chair is comfortable.

In that position, Afrikaans usually uses the basic form:

• gemaklik

But when the adjective comes before a noun, it often takes -e:

• 'n gemaklike stoel = a comfortable chair
• 'n gemaklike bank = a comfortable couch

So:

• die stoel is gemaklik
• but 'n gemaklike stoel

Because the sentence contains two full main clauses joined by maar:

• Hierdie stoel is nie baie gemaklik nie
• maar daardie bank is gemaklik

Each clause needs its own verb. English works the same way here:

• This chair is not very comfortable, but that couch is comfortable.

So repeating is is completely normal.

maar means but. It is a coordinating conjunction, so it joins two main clauses.

After maar, Afrikaans usually keeps normal main-clause word order:

• daardie bank is gemaklik

So unlike some other conjunctions, maar does not push the verb to the end.

That makes it similar to English but in this kind of sentence.

Because the second clause is positive, not negative:

• maar daardie bank is gemaklik = but that couch is comfortable

Only the first clause is negated:

• Hierdie stoel is nie baie gemaklik nie

So the sentence is contrasting a less comfortable chair with a comfortable couch.

A rough guide is:

• hierdie ≈ HEER-dee
• stoel ≈ close to stool, but often with a slightly different vowel quality
• gemaklik ≈ guh-MAHK-lik, with the g pronounced as a throaty sound, not like English g
• daardie ≈ DAAR-dee
• bank ≈ similar to English bank, though the vowel may sound a bit different depending on accent

Two useful pronunciation notes:

• The g in Afrikaans is usually a guttural throat sound
• aa in daardie is a long vowel sound

If you want to sound natural, hierdie and daardie are especially worth practising out loud.