Sy ryg die soom.

she

Breakdown of Sy ryg die soom.

• die soom: hem
• ryg: to baste; tack

Questions & Answers about Sy ryg die soom.

What is the role of each word in Sy ryg die soom?

• Sy = the subject
• ryg = the verb
• die soom = the object

So the sentence follows the basic Afrikaans pattern:

subject + verb + object

That makes it a very straightforward main-clause sentence.

Does Sy mean she or can it mean something else too?

Yes, sy can mean more than one thing in Afrikaans, which often confuses learners.

In this sentence, Sy means she because it is followed by a verb: ryg.

But sy can also mean his when it comes before a noun, for example:

• sy boek = his book

So in Sy ryg die soom, the structure shows that Sy must mean she, not his.

Why doesn’t the verb change for she? Why isn’t it something like rygs?