Log inSign up

Die kandelaar is van metaal.

Die kandelaar is van metaal.
The candlestick is made of metal.
From Lesson 46:Browsing a flea market with a friend·Hardcore Afrikaans

Breakdown of Die kandelaar is van metaal.

wees
to be
van
of
die metaal
the metal
die kandelaar
candlestick

Questions & Answers about Die kandelaar is van metaal.

What does die mean in this sentence?
Here die means the. So die kandelaar means the candlestick/candelabrum.
Is die pronounced like the English word die?
No. In Afrikaans, die is pronounced roughly like dee.
Why is the article die used here? Does Afrikaans have grammatical gender like German?
Afrikaans does not use different definite articles for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns the way German does. Die is the normal definite article for nouns in general, so you use it regardless of grammatical gender.
What exactly does kandelaar mean?
Kandelaar refers to a candle holder, often something like a candlestick or candelabrum. The exact English word depends on context, but it is a noun for an object that holds candles.
What does van mean here?
In this sentence, van means of or, more naturally in English, made of. So is van metaal means is made of metal.
Does van always mean of?

Not always. Van can also mean from, depending on the sentence. But when you talk about the material something is made from, van is very common:

  • van hout = made of wood
  • van glas = made of glass
  • van metaal = made of metal
Why is there no article before metaal?

When Afrikaans says what material something is made of, it usually uses the material noun by itself after van:

  • van hout
  • van plastiek
  • van metaal

So van metaal is the normal pattern. If you said van die metaal, it would sound like you meant a specific metal already known from the context.

Is the word order the same as in English here?

Yes. This sentence follows a very familiar pattern:

Die kandelaar + is + van metaal
subject + verb + complement

So for an English speaker, the structure is straightforward here.

Why is is the same as in English?

Afrikaans and English are related languages, so some very common words look the same. Is is the present-tense form of wees meaning to be.

A useful thing for learners is that Afrikaans does not change this form the way English does. You get:

  • ek is
  • jy is
  • hy/sy is
  • ons is
  • hulle is

So is works with all persons in the present tense.

Could I also say Die kandelaar is uit metaal?

The most natural basic phrasing is van metaal. Afrikaans commonly uses van for material.

You may also see expressions like uit metaal gemaak, which means made out of metal, especially when the construction process is being emphasized. But in a simple sentence like this, van metaal is the standard choice.

Why aren’t kandelaar and metaal capitalized?
Because Afrikaans does not capitalize all nouns the way German does. Common nouns are normally written in lower case unless they begin a sentence. So kandelaar and metaal stay lower case here.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
“What's the best way to learn Afrikaans grammar?”
Afrikaans grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Afrikaans

Master Afrikaans — from Die kandelaar is van metaal to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Afrikaans →