'n is the Afrikaans indefinite article, meaning a or an.
It is always written with:
So:
This is simply the standard written form in Afrikaans. It does not change for gender, and it does not have separate forms like English a/an.
'n is usually pronounced like a very weak vowel sound, similar to the a in about or sofa.
So it is often something like:
Important points:
So Dit is 'n nuwe taal sounds roughly like:
Dit is uh nuwe taal
Not a careful English-style an.
This is one of the most common learner questions.
The basic adjective is nuut = new.
But before a noun, Afrikaans often uses an inflected adjective form, and here that form is nuwe.
So:
This difference is very common in Afrikaans:
So in this sentence, nuwe is correct because it comes directly before taal.
No, Afrikaans does not have grammatical gender in the way languages like German or Dutch do.
That means:
So:
The article 'n stays the same.
This is one reason Afrikaans grammar is often easier for English speakers than some other European languages.
Nuwe is usually pronounced roughly like NOO-vuh.
A few helpful points:
So not an English-style new-way.
It is closer to:
NOO-vuh
If you are learning pronunciation, listening to native audio is especially useful here.
Taal means language, and it is pronounced roughly like tahl.
Points to notice:
So:
The long aa is important in Afrikaans spelling and pronunciation.
This is a famous spelling point in Afrikaans.
Even at the beginning of a sentence, 'n usually stays lowercase, and the next word gets the capital letter.
For example:
Not:
So 'n is unusual because it normally remains lowercase even when it comes first.
Not always, but very often.
Afrikaans adjective inflection is simpler than in some other languages, but learners still need to get used to forms like:
Some adjectives change before a noun, and some do not change much or at all.
In this sentence, you should simply learn: