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Die bankkoste is duur.

Die bankkoste is duur.
The bank charges are expensive.
From Lesson 29:Managing everyday banking·Hardcore Afrikaans

Breakdown of Die bankkoste is duur.

wees
to be
duur
expensive
die bankkoste
the bank charges

Questions & Answers about Die bankkoste is duur.

What does die do here?
Die is the definite article, the Afrikaans equivalent of English the. Afrikaans keeps this very simple: you use die regardless of grammatical gender.
Does die tell me whether bankkoste is singular or plural?
No. Die can be used with both singular and plural nouns. Context tells you which meaning is intended. In this sentence, bankkoste refers to bank costs or charges as a set.
Why is bankkoste written as one word?
Afrikaans usually writes compound nouns as one word. So bank + koste becomes bankkoste. English often leaves similar expressions as two words, such as bank charges, so this is something English speakers often have to get used to.
Is koste related to English costs?
Yes. They are closely related in both form and meaning. Koste can mean costs, charges, or expenses, depending on the context.
Why is the verb is used if English might say are?

Because Afrikaans uses is for all persons and numbers in the present tense of to be. For example:

ek is = I am
jy is = you are
ons is = we are
hulle is = they are

So is can match English am, is, or are, depending on the subject.

Why doesn’t duur change form here?
Because it comes after the linking verb is. In Afrikaans, adjectives in this position usually stay in their basic form. English speakers sometimes expect an ending change, but after is, the plain adjective is normal.
What happens if I put duur before bankkoste instead?
Then you are no longer making a full sentence. Die bankkoste is duur is a complete statement. Putting the adjective before the noun gives you a noun phrase, like the expensive bank charges, not a complete sentence by itself. Also, adjectives may change form when they come directly before a noun.
Is the word order anything special here?

No. This is a very basic Afrikaans sentence pattern:

die + noun + is + adjective

So it lines up quite closely with English word order in a sentence like The bank charges are expensive.

Can I leave out die and just say Bankkoste is duur?
Sometimes Afrikaans leaves out an article in very general statements, but for a learner, Die bankkoste is duur is the safest normal pattern when you mean the bank charges or charges already understood from context. Without die, it can sound more general, like Bank charges are expensive as a broad statement.
How do I pronounce Die bankkoste is duur?

A rough English-friendly guide is dee BUNK-kos-tuh iss dyoor, but that is only approximate.

A few helpful points:

  • die is usually pronounced like dee, not like English die
  • bankkoste is one compound word
  • is sounds like iss
  • duur has no exact English equivalent, so dyoor is only a rough guide

Accent and pronunciation can vary a bit, but that should get you close.

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