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Die kloof is mooi.

Die kloof is mooi.
The gorge is beautiful.
From Lesson 43:Going on a day hike with friends·Hardcore Afrikaans

Breakdown of Die kloof is mooi.

wees
to be
mooi
beautiful
die kloof
gorge; ravine

Questions & Answers about Die kloof is mooi.

What does die mean here, and is it pronounced like the English word die?
Here die means the. It is pronounced dee, not like the English verb to die. This is a very common early confusion for English speakers learning Afrikaans.
Does die tell me whether kloof is masculine, feminine, or plural?
No. Afrikaans does not use grammatical gender the way some other languages do, and die is the normal definite article for both singular and plural nouns. So die by itself does not tell you the number; you need the noun form and the context for that.
Is is used the same way as English is?
Yes. In this sentence, is is the present-tense form of to be. One useful difference from English is that Afrikaans uses is with all persons: ek is, jy is, hy is, ons is, hulle is.
Why is mooi at the end of the sentence?
Because mooi is a predicate adjective here. It comes after the linking verb is and describes die kloof. This works very much like English The gorge is beautiful.
Can I also put mooi before the noun?
Yes. If you want to say the beautiful gorge, you can say die mooi kloof. In this case, mooi comes before the noun because it is directly modifying it, not coming after is in a full statement.
How do I pronounce kloof and mooi?

A rough English guide is:

kloof ≈ klohf with a long o
mooi ≈ moy

These are only approximations, but they are close enough for a beginner.

How would I make this sentence negative?
You would normally say Die kloof is nie mooi nie. Afrikaans usually uses a double nie in full negative sentences: one nie after the verb part and another nie at the end.
How do I turn it into a question?
You normally move the verb to the front: Is die kloof mooi? This is the usual yes/no question pattern in Afrikaans.
If die can also be plural, how do I know this sentence is singular?
Because the noun is kloof, which is the singular form. The plural is typically klowe. So Die klowe is mooi would mean The gorges are beautiful.
How would I say A gorge is beautiful instead?
You would use the indefinite article 'n: 'n kloof is mooi. The 'n is pronounced very weakly, like uh, and it stays lowercase even at the beginning of a sentence.
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