Dit reën onverwags.

it

Breakdown of Dit reën onverwags.

• reën: to rain
• onverwags: unexpectedly

Questions & Answers about Dit reën onverwags.

Why is dit used here if it does not refer to anything?

In Afrikaans, weather expressions often use a dummy subject dit, just like English uses it in It is raining.

So in Dit reën onverwags, dit does not point to a real object. It is just the grammatical subject needed to make the sentence complete.

Is reën a verb here?

Yes. In this sentence, reën is the verb and means to rain.

Afrikaans can also use reën as a noun:

• die reën = the rain

So context tells you which one it is:

• Dit reën. = verb
• Die reën is koud. = noun

What do the dots in reën mean?

The dots on ë are called a diaeresis. They show that the vowels are pronounced separately.

So reën is pronounced in two syllables, roughly like REE-un.

The spelling helps you avoid reading it as one single vowel sound.

Does reën mean rains or is raining?