Dit is 'n gewone dag by die kantoor.

the

Breakdown of Dit is 'n gewone dag by die kantoor.

• 'n: a
• wees: to be
• by: at

Questions & Answers about Dit is 'n gewone dag by die kantoor.

Is Dit is just the same as English It is?

Yes. Dit is is the straightforward Afrikaans equivalent of It is.

In everyday speech, Afrikaans speakers very often contract it to Dis, which is extremely common in conversation:

• Dit is 'n gewone dag by die kantoor.
• Dis 'n gewone dag by die kantoor.

Both are correct. Dit is is a little more full or neutral; Dis is more natural in casual speech.

Why is the word for a/an written as 'n?

In Afrikaans, the indefinite article is written 'n. It corresponds to English a/an.

A few important points:

• It is always written with a small n after the apostrophe: 'n
• It is usually not stressed in speech
• It is pronounced more like a weak vowel sound, roughly like the a in about, not like the English letter name en

So in 'n gewone dag, the 'n is very light and unstressed.

Why is it gewone and not gewoon?