Breakdown of Die telling is tans gelykop.
wees
to be
die telling
the score; tally
gelykop
tied; level in score
tans
currently
Questions & Answers about Die telling is tans gelykop.
What does die mean here, and is it pronounced like the English word die?
Here die means the.
It is not pronounced like the English word die. In Afrikaans, die is usually pronounced roughly like dee.
A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for:
- singular nouns
- plural nouns
So unlike languages such as German, you do not have to learn different forms for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns.
Examples:
- die telling = the score
- die spelers = the players
Why is telling used? Doesn’t telling mean counting?
Yes, telling can mean counting, but in the right context it can also refer to a score or tally.
In a sports context, die telling means the score.
So this is one of those words where context matters:
- telling = counting / tally / score
English has something similar with words like count or tally, which can also shift meaning depending on the situation.
What does tans mean?