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Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: Bestaan dit nog? - Does it still exist?

Hardcore Afrikaans
/Managing everyday banking
/Bestaan dit nog?

Bestaan dit nog?

Word

Bestaan dit nog?

Meaning

Does it still exist?

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Afrikaans

Lesson

Managing everyday banking

Breakdown of Bestaan dit nog?

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Questions & Answers about Bestaan dit nog?

Why does the sentence start with bestaan instead of dit?

Because this is a yes/no question in Afrikaans. In main-clause yes/no questions, the finite verb normally comes first.

So:

Statement: Dit bestaan nog.
Question: Bestaan dit nog?

This is similar to older or more formal English patterns like Exists it still?, but in normal English we use Does it still exist?

What exactly is bestaan here?

Bestaan is the verb meaning to exist.

In this sentence, it is the finite verb in the present tense. Afrikaans verbs do not change form for person the way English verbs do, so you use bestaan with ek, jy, hy, dit, ons, and so on.

Examples:

Dit bestaan. = It exists.
Bestaan dit? = Does it exist?

What does dit mean here?

Here, dit means it.

It refers back to something already known from the context. Afrikaans dit is often used much like English it.

For example:

Die ou gebou? Bestaan dit nog? = The old building? Does it still exist?

In other contexts, dit can also be part of expressions where English might not use it in exactly the same way, but in this sentence it is a straightforward it.

What does nog mean in this sentence?

Here, nog means still.

So it adds the idea that something existed before, and the speaker is asking whether that is still true now.

A useful rough gloss is:

Bestaan dit nog? = Does it still exist?

Be aware that nog can also mean other things in other contexts, such as yet, another, or more, depending on the sentence.

Why is nog at the end?

That position is normal in Afrikaans.

With a simple structure like this, the order is:

Verb + subject + nog

So:

Bestaan dit nog?

That sounds natural and idiomatic. Putting nog elsewhere would usually sound less normal or change the emphasis.

Is Bestaan dit nog? a natural thing to say in Afrikaans?

Yes. It is correct and natural, especially when asking whether something still exists in a literal or abstract sense.

You might use it for:

an old organization
a law
a tradition
a species
a building or place

For very physical things in everyday speech, Afrikaans speakers might sometimes choose a different verb depending on what they mean, for example is dit nog daar? if they mean is it still there? But Bestaan dit nog? is perfectly good when the idea is genuine existence.

Could I use steeds instead of nog?

Sometimes yes, but nog is the most normal choice here.

Bestaan dit nog? = very natural
Bestaan dit steeds? = possible, often a bit more formal or emphatic

Very roughly:

nog is the everyday word for still
steeds can also mean still, but often sounds slightly more formal, deliberate, or written

So if you are learning the most common version first, use nog.

Is there an implied does here, like in English Does it still exist?

Yes, in meaning—but not as a separate word.

English needs do-support in questions:

Does it still exist?

Afrikaans does not use a separate helping verb like do/does here. It simply moves the main verb to the front:

Bestaan dit nog?

So the idea of English does is built into the Afrikaans question structure, not translated word-for-word.

What would the statement version be?

The normal statement version is:

Dit bestaan nog.

That means It still exists.

This is a useful comparison:

Dit bestaan nog. = statement
Bestaan dit nog? = yes/no question

How would this be pronounced?

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

buh-STAHN dit nokh?

A few notes:

bestaan has stress on the second part: be-STAAN
aa is a long vowel
g in nog is the usual Afrikaans guttural sound, not an English g as in go

If you cannot make the guttural sound yet, an approximate nokh is a reasonable learner start.

Can this sentence refer to abstract things, not just physical objects?

Yes, absolutely. That is one reason bestaan is useful.

It can be used for things like:

Bestaan daardie wet nog? = Does that law still exist?
Bestaan die tradisie nog? = Does that tradition still exist?
Bestaan die maatskappy nog? = Does the company still exist?

So bestaan works well for both literal and abstract existence.

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