Die kantoor dien die munisipaliteit.

The office serves the municipality.

Breakdown of Die kantoor dien die munisipaliteit.

• die kantoor: the office
• die munisipaliteit: the municipality
• dien: to serve or function

Questions & Answers about Die kantoor dien die munisipaliteit.

Why is die used twice in Die kantoor dien die munisipaliteit?

Because die is the Afrikaans definite article meaning the.

In this sentence:

• die kantoor = the office
• die munisipaliteit = the municipality

Afrikaans uses die for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all grammatical genders

So unlike languages such as German or Dutch, you do not have to learn different forms of the for masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns.

What does dien mean here?

Dien is the verb to serve.

In this sentence, it means that the office serves, assists, or functions for the municipality. Depending on context, dien can sound:

• practical: provides services to
• administrative: works for / is in service of
• formal: serves

It is a somewhat formal word, and it is common in official or institutional contexts.

Why doesn’t the verb change like English serve/serves?