← Engels vir Afrikaanssprekendes
Introduction: In this second lesson we study "be", the second most frequent word in English and the most important verb in the language. "Be" is the verb that says what someone or something is, where it is, how it is, and that it exists: "I am tired", "She is a teacher", "We are at home", "It is cold today", "There is a cat on the sofa".
Afrikaans has the same verb, wees, and an Afrikaans speaker starts well, because Afrikaans and English use "be" in nearly the same places. The Afrikaans verb is very simple: wees (the infinitive and the command), is (the present, for every subject), was (the past, for every subject) and gewees (the past participle). English "be" has eight forms: be, am, is, are, was, were, been and being. That is the main work of this lesson: to choose the right form for the subject, which Afrikaans never asks you to do.
The present tense:
- I am (Afrikaans: ek is) - you are (jy is, julle is, u is) - he is, she is, it is (hy is, sy is, dit is) - we are (ons is) - they are (hulle is)
The past tense:
- I was, he was, she was, it was (ek was, hy was, sy was, dit was) - you were, we were, they were (jy was, ons was, hulle was)
The other forms: be (wees), been (gewees) and being (the form that ends in -ing).
The lesson is mostly about the places where the two languages part:
- English changes the verb with the subject (am, is, are, was, were), and Afrikaans does not (is, is, is, was, was). - English has short forms in speech and informal writing: I'm, you're, he's, she's, it's, we're, they're, isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't. Standard written Afrikaans has no such forms; only dis for dit is is common in informal writing and speech. - English makes a negative with one "not": He isn't here. Afrikaans needs two: Hy is nie hier nie. - English "there is" and "there are" agree with the thing that follows. Afrikaans daar is is the same for one or many. - English uses "be" as a helper: with a verb ending in -ing (She is reading), with a past participle (The house was built), and in "have been". Afrikaans does the same work with a simple verb (Sy lees), with is gebou, and with the simple present (Ek is sedert Maandag hier). - English "How are you?" uses "be". Afrikaans says Hoe gaan dit? ("How goes it?").
English uses "be":
- to say what or who someone is: "She is a teacher." (Afrikaans: Sy is 'n onderwyser.) - to say where someone or something is: "We are at home." (Ons is tuis.) - to describe: "I am tired." "It is cold today." (Ek is moeg. Dit is vandag koud.) - to give age: "I am twelve." (Ek is twaalf.) Note that English says "I am twelve", or "I am twelve years old", and never "I have twelve years". - to say that something exists or is somewhere: "There is a cat on the sofa." (Daar is 'n kat op die bank.) - with a verb ending in -ing, to say what is happening now: "She is reading a book." (Sy lees 'n boek.) - with a past participle, to say what was done: "The house was built in 1900." (Die huis is in 1900 gebou.) - in the command: "Be careful!" (Wees versigtig!) and the future: "It will be a good year." (Dit sal 'n goeie jaar wees.)
Etymology: the eight forms of "be" come from different old verbs. Am, is come from the root that also gave Afrikaans is (Dutch is, German ist, Latin est). Be, been, being come from another root, which is also the root of Dutch ben and German bin; Afrikaans no longer has it, since the Dutch ik ben became Afrikaans ek is. Was, were come from the Old English verb wesan, "to stay, to be", which is also the origin of Afrikaans wees, was and gewees. "Are" is a further old form of the present, with no match in Afrikaans. That is why English "be" looks so irregular: it was put together from several verbs, which Afrikaans has smoothed into a few simple forms.
What does "be" mean in Afrikaans? Nearly always wees, or is in the present and was in the past. When "be" helps another verb (is reading, was built, have been) Afrikaans often has no separate word for it. And the greeting "How are you?" is not translated word for word: the Afrikaans is Hoe gaan dit?
Key Takeaways:
- Choose the form by the subject: I am; he, she, it is; you, we, they are; I, he, she, it was; you, we, they were. - Afrikaans is and was never change, but English "is" and "are", "was" and "were" do: The children were in the garden, not "The children was". - A question turns the verb round, as in Afrikaans (Are you hungry? Is jy honger?), but a negative needs only one "not": He isn't here. - Say "There is" for one and "There are" for more than one. Afrikaans daar is covers both. - English needs "have been" where Afrikaans uses the simple present: I have been here since Monday (Ek is sedert Maandag hier). And "I was born", never "I am born". - The command is "Be": Be quiet, Be careful (Wees stil, Wees versigtig).
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Pronunciation Guide:
be — /biː/ when it is stressed; /bi/ when it is weak, in the middle of a sentence: Be quiet /bi ˈkwaɪət/.
am — /æm/ stressed, /əm/ weak: I am tired /aɪ əm ˈtaɪəd/. In a short answer it is stressed: Yes, I am /jes aɪ ˈæm/.
is — /ɪz/ stressed or weak, with a final z sound: It is /ɪt ɪz/, She is /ʃi ɪz/. After a voiceless sound the contraction 's is /s/: it's /ɪts/; after a voiced sound it is /z/: he's /hiːz/, she's /ʃiːz/.
are — /ɑː/ stressed, /ə/ weak: You are /juː ə/, Are you tired? /ə juː ˈtaɪəd/.
was — /wɒz/ stressed, /wəz/ weak: I was afraid /aɪ wəz əˈfreɪd/.
were — /wɜː/ stressed, /wə/ weak: The children were in the garden /ðə ˈtʃɪldrən wə ɪn ðə ˈɡɑːdn/.
been — /biːn/ stressed, /bɪn/ weak: I have been here /aɪ həv bɪn ˈhɪə/. Both are correct.
being — /ˈbiːɪŋ/.
The contractions: I'm /aɪm/, you're /jɔː/, he's /hiːz/, she's /ʃiːz/, it's /ɪts/, we're /wɪə/, they're /ðeə/, isn't /ˈɪzənt/, aren't /ɑːnt/, wasn't /ˈwɒzənt/, weren't /wɜːnt/.
Three sounds need care. First, the final z. Afrikaans does not voice a consonant at the end of a word, so is, as and was all end in s. In English the last sound of is, was and has is /z/: say it with the voice in the throat, so that it buzzes. A final /s/ ("iss", "wass") is understood, but it is not the standard sound. Second, the w of was and were. The Afrikaans w is like English v, with the lower lip against the upper teeth. English w is made with both lips rounded, and the teeth are not used: was /wɒz/ is not "vas", and were /wɜː/ is not "ver". Third, the weak forms. In an English sentence the small words am, is, are, was, were and been are weak, quick and short, as in Afrikaans 'n and die in a quick sentence. Do not give every one of them its full vowel. But in a short answer the verb is strong: "Yes, I am /æm/", never "Yes, I /əm/".
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Part A (English and Afrikaans text, word by word):
2.1 I ek am is tired moeg.
2.2 You jy are is my my friend vriend.
2.3 She sy is is a 'n teacher onderwyser.
2.4 We ons are is at-home tuis.
2.5 It dit is is cold koud today vandag.
2.6 Are is you jy hungry honger?
2.7 There daar is is a 'n cat kat on op the die sofa bank.
2.8 There daar are is two twee books boeke on op the die table tafel.
2.9 My my brother broer isn't is-nie here hier-nie.
2.10 The die children kinders were was in in the die garden tuin.
2.11 I ek was is born gebore in in Cape-Town Kaapstad.
2.12 Where waar are is my my shoes skoene?
2.13 I ek have-been is here hier since sedert Monday Maandag.
2.14 The die house huis was is built gebou in in 1900 1900.
2.15 She sy is-reading lees a 'n book boek, and en the die children kinders are-playing speel outside buite.
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Part B (Full English sentence followed by the Afrikaans translation):
2.1 I am tired. Ek is moeg.
2.2 You are my friend. Jy is my vriend.
2.3 She is a teacher. Sy is 'n onderwyser.
2.4 We are at home. Ons is tuis.
2.5 It is cold today. Dit is vandag koud.
2.6 Are you hungry? Is jy honger?
2.7 There is a cat on the sofa. Daar is 'n kat op die bank.
2.8 There are two books on the table. Daar is twee boeke op die tafel.
2.9 My brother isn't here. My broer is nie hier nie.
2.10 The children were in the garden. Die kinders was in die tuin.
2.11 I was born in Cape Town. Ek is in Kaapstad gebore.
2.12 Where are my shoes? Waar is my skoene?
2.13 I have been here since Monday. Ek is sedert Maandag hier.
2.14 The house was built in 1900. Die huis is in 1900 gebou.
2.15 She is reading a book, and the children are playing outside. Sy lees 'n boek, en die kinders speel buite.
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Part C (English text only):
2.1 I am tired.
2.2 You are my friend.
2.3 She is a teacher.
2.4 We are at home.
2.5 It is cold today.
2.6 Are you hungry?
2.7 There is a cat on the sofa.
2.8 There are two books on the table.
2.9 My brother isn't here.
2.10 The children were in the garden.
2.11 I was born in Cape Town.
2.12 Where are my shoes?
2.13 I have been here since Monday.
2.14 The house was built in 1900.
2.15 She is reading a book, and the children are playing outside.
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Part D (Grammar explanation):
These are the grammar rules for "be" in English:
1. Eight forms. "Be" has be, am, is, are, was, were, been and being. In the present the form depends on the subject: am only with "I"; is with he, she, it and with any one thing or person (my brother, the house); are with you, we, they and with more than one (the children, my shoes). So: I am tired (2.1), You are my friend (2.2), She is a teacher (2.3), We are at home (2.4), It is cold (2.5), and, with a noun, The children are playing (2.15). In Afrikaans all of these are is: ek is, jy is, sy is, ons is, hulle is. The choice among am, is and are is what an Afrikaans speaker has to learn.
2. The past: was and were. Was goes with I, he, she, it and with one thing: I was, my brother was, the house was (2.11, 2.14). Were goes with you, we, they and with more than one: You were, We were, The children were in the garden (2.10). Note that "you were" is used for one person as well as for many. Afrikaans has was for all of them: Ek was, Jy was, Die kinders was. Never "The children was".
3. Where English and Afrikaans agree. "Be" is used in the same way as wees in: - what someone is: She is a teacher (2.3); Sy is 'n onderwyser. English keeps a/an before the job here, as Afrikaans has 'n. - where something is: We are at home (2.4), Where are my shoes? (2.12) - how something or someone is: I am tired (2.1), It is cold today (2.5), Are you hungry? (2.6) - age: How old are you? (2.20), I am twelve (2.21). English says "I am twelve" or "I am twelve years old". Do not say "I have twelve years". - the weather: It is cold. In English, "it" is needed: Dit is koud, not "Is cold". In all of these you can follow your instinct from Afrikaans, with one change: pick am, is or are.
4. Questions and short answers. To ask a question the verb goes in front of the subject, as in Afrikaans: You are hungry becomes Are you hungry? (2.6; Afrikaans Is jy honger?). No "do" is added: never "Do you be hungry?" The short answer repeats the verb: "Are you new here?" "Yes, I am." In the answer the verb is stressed and it is not shortened: "Yes, I am", never "Yes, I'm" and never "Yes, I". Afrikaans usually says just Ja. A question word comes first and the verb comes next: Where are my shoes? (2.12), How old are you? (2.20), Where is your classroom? (2.22).
5. The negative. After "be" put "not" once: He is not here, or He isn't here (2.9). Afrikaans needs two: Hy is nie hier nie. Do not carry the second nie into English: never "He isn't here not". The short forms are isn't, aren't, wasn't and weren't. After "I am" use "I am not" or "I'm not". There is no "amn't" in standard English; in a question tag you say "aren't I?".
6. The short forms. In speech, and in informal writing and in dialogue, "be" is joined to the subject: I'm (2.17), you're, he's, she's, it's, we're, they're. Afrikaans has dis, a short form of dit is, but only in speech and informal writing. A short answer cannot end in a contraction of "am", "is" or "are": "Yes, I am", not "Yes, I'm". The contractions are ordinary and not rude. In a formal text write the words out.
7. There is and there are. These sentences say that something exists or is in a place. English agrees with the noun that follows: There is a cat on the sofa (2.7), There are two books on the table (2.8). Afrikaans daar is covers both: Daar is 'n kat, Daar is twee boeke. In the past it is "there was" or "there were": There was light, There were two books. Never "There is two books". The word "there" cannot be left out: Daar is 'n kat is There is a cat, never "Is a cat".
8. Be + a verb ending in -ing. English uses "be" with the -ing form for something that is going on now: She is reading a book, and the children are playing outside (2.15). Afrikaans uses the plain present: Sy lees 'n boek, en die kinders speel buite. Afrikaans can also say Sy is besig om 'n boek te lees, which is close to "She is busy reading". English says "She reads a book" for a habit (She reads a book every night), not for what she is doing now. Say "Look! She is reading a book", not "Look! She reads a book".
9. Be + the past participle: the passive. "Be" with a past participle says what was done to something: The house was built in 1900 (2.14). Afrikaans uses is: Die huis is in 1900 gebou. Notice that Afrikaans has a present is here, where English has the past was. This is a trap in one word above all: "I was born" (2.11). Afrikaans says Ek is gebore, and English says "I was born", never "I am born". For something that is happening now, Afrikaans has word and English has "is being": Die huis word gebou is "The house is being built", and "being" is the last of the eight forms.
10. Have been. For something that began in the past and goes on now, English uses "have been" and Afrikaans uses the simple present: I have been here since Monday (2.13); Ek is sedert Maandag hier. Say "has been" with he, she and it: She has been here since Monday. The same holds for "for": I have been here for three days (Ek is al drie dae hier). Never "I am here since Monday".
11. The command and the future. For a command English uses the base form: Be quiet, Be careful (2.29); Afrikaans Wees stil, Wees versigtig. The negative command takes "do not": Don't be late (Moenie laat wees nie). For the future, English uses "will be": This will be a good year (2.30); Dit sal 'n goeie jaar wees. In Afrikaans sal and wees stand apart, and in English will and be stand together. After "let" you also need the base form: Let there be light, as in Part F.
12. After be + adjective: prepositions. Some adjectives need a different small word in English from the one in Afrikaans. "I was afraid of the first day" (2.25), where Afrikaans says bang vir; "proud of" is trots op; "interested in" is belangstellend in. Learn each adjective with its small word.
13. How are you? English greets with "be": How are you? (Afrikaans Hoe gaan dit? or Hoe gaan dit met jou?). The answer is: I'm fine, thank you, or I'm well, thank you. English also has "How's it going?", which is close to Hoe gaan dit?, but "How goes it?" is not usual today.
14. How Part A reads. A hyphen in the English gloss joins the words that translate one Afrikaans word (at-home tuis, have-been is, is-reading lees, are-playing speel). A hyphen in the Afrikaans joins words that stand apart in the real sentence: is-nie and hier-nie are the first and second nie of Hy is nie hier nie (Part B), and the second nie closes the sentence. In 2.11 the real Afrikaans order is Ek is in Kaapstad gebore, with gebore at the end, but Part A follows the English order: was is born gebore.
Common mistakes:
- ✗ I are tired. ✓ I am tired. (Am goes only with "I".) - ✗ She are a teacher. ✓ She is a teacher. - ✗ The children was in the garden. ✓ The children were in the garden. - ✗ There is two books on the table. ✓ There are two books on the table. - ✗ My brother isn't here not. ✓ My brother isn't here. (One negative is enough in English.) - ✗ I am here since Monday. ✓ I have been here since Monday. - ✗ I am born in Cape Town. ✓ I was born in Cape Town. - ✗ Are you new? Yes, I. ✓ Are you new? Yes, I am. - ✗ Look! She reads a book. ✓ Look! She is reading a book. - ✗ Do you be tired? ✓ Are you tired? - ✗ Is cold today. ✓ It is cold today. - ✗ Are quiet! ✓ Be quiet! - ✗ How goes it? / How is you? ✓ How are you? - ✗ I have twelve years. ✓ I am twelve. - ✗ I was afraid from the first day. ✓ I was afraid of the first day. - ✗ vas, ver ✓ was /wɒz/, were /wɜː/
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Part E (Cultural context):
"Be" is the second most frequent word in English, and it is hard to say anything without it: it is in the question that opens many conversations, "How are you?" In South Africa the greeting is often "Howzit?", a short form of "How is it?", which is also heard among Afrikaans speakers who are speaking English. The answer is usually "Fine, thanks, and you?", and it is a greeting, not a real question about health.
South African English also uses "Is it?" to mean "Really?", whatever the verb of the sentence before it: "I was born in Cape Town." "Is it?" This is a South African habit. Elsewhere "Is it?" is a plain question about "it", and the usual reply to such a sentence is "Really?" or "Is that so?". Afrikaans has a similar use of Is dit so? You will hear both.
Asking a person's age is common among children, as in the lesson's dialogue, but in English-speaking countries many adults do not like to be asked, and it is better not to ask.
When you introduce yourself in English you say "I am Daniel" or "I'm Daniel" and "My name is Daniel"; both use "be". Afrikaans says Ek is Daniel or My naam is Daniel, so Afrikaans speakers have no difficulty here. Note, though, that the English contraction "I'm" is the usual form when speaking, and the full "I am" sounds careful or a little stiff.
English "be" is also at the centre of one of the best-known lines in the language: "To be, or not to be, that is the question", spoken by Hamlet in Shakespeare's play Hamlet (about 1600). The line is a good reminder that "be" can stand alone, and that it then means "to exist".
Finally, the contractions: do not be afraid to use them. A learner who never says "I'm" or "isn't" sounds like a book. A learner who says "She's a teacher" and "They're at home" sounds like a person.
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Part F (Literary citation):
Genesis 1:3 and the first clause of 1:4, in the English King James Version (1611); Afrikaans text from Die Bybel 1933/1953-vertaling (AFR53). The rest of verse 4 is left out.
F-A (English and Afrikaans text, word by word):
"And En God God said het-gesê: Let Laat there daar be wees light lig: and en there daar was was light lig. And Toe God God saw sien the-light die-lig, that dat it - was was good goed."
F-B (Original text followed by the Afrikaans translation):
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good."
"En God het gesê: Laat daar lig wees! En daar was lig. Toe sien God dat die lig goed was."
F-C (English text only):
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good."
F-D (Grammar and literary commentary):
These are among the best-known sentences in the English language: the first words that God speaks in the King James Version. They are short, they are joined by "and", and "be" appears in them three times: once as "be" (Let there be light) and twice as "was" (there was light; that it was good). The sentences are a clear lesson in the verb of this lesson.
Now look at the Afrikaans. In "Let there be light" the English and Afrikaans are word for word the same: Let ↔ Laat, there ↔ daar, be ↔ wees, light ↔ lig. This is the only place in the lesson where you can read the Afrikaans straight off the English.
- And God said ↔ En God het gesê: English says "said" (the simple past), and Afrikaans says het gesê (Lesson 1, Part D, rule 9). Do not say "has said". - Let there be light ↔ Laat daar lig wees: "be" is the base form of the verb, with no "to", after "let". Afrikaans also has the plain wees at the end of the clause (Part D, rule 11). The KJV has a colon after "light"; today we would write a comma, a dash or a full stop. - and there was light ↔ En daar was lig: "there was" is the past of "there is" (Part D, rule 7). "Light" is a substance here, and so it takes no "a" in English and no 'n in Afrikaans. If you want one single light, English says "a light" (Daar is 'n lig). - And God saw the light ↔ Toe sien God dat die lig: Afrikaans begins with Toe, "then" or "when", and English with "And". In the Afrikaans the verb sien comes second, before God, and in English "God" comes before "saw". - that it was good ↔ dat die lig goed was: here is a point of word order. In the Afrikaans clause after dat the verb goes to the end: dat die lig goed was. In English the verb stays close to the subject: "that it was good", never "that it good was". And English uses the short word "it" where Afrikaans repeats die lig; in F-A the "-" shows that the English "it" has no word of its own in Afrikaans.
In the King James Version, verse 4 goes on after "good" with "and God divided the light from the darkness", which is not given here. The Afrikaans of 1953 ends its sentence at goed was and begins a new one: En God het skeiding gemaak tussen die lig en die duisternis.
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Lize is a girl at a school in Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape. It is a beautiful morning at the school gate, and a new boy arrives. Lize speaks in 2.18, 2.20, 2.22, 2.24, 2.27 and 2.29; Daniel, the new boy, speaks in 2.17, 2.19, 2.21, 2.23, 2.25 and 2.30; the other sentences tell what happens.
Part A (English and Afrikaans text, word by word):
2.16 It dit is is a 'n beautiful pragtige morning oggend, and en Lize Lize is is at by the die school-gate skoolhek.
2.17 "Hello Hallo, I'm ek-is Daniel Daniel," says sê the die new nuwe boy seun.
2.18 "Hello Hallo, Daniel Daniel. I ek am is Lize Lize. Are is you jy new nuut here hier?"
2.19 "Yes Ja, I ek am is new nuut. We ons are is from van Pretoria Pretoria."
2.20 "How hoe old oud are is you jy?" asks vra Lize Lize.
2.21 "I ek am is twelve twaalf, and en my my sister suster is is ten tien."
2.22 "Where waar is is your jou classroom klaskamer?"
2.23 "It dit is is in in the die old ou building gebou, next-to langs the die library biblioteek."
2.24 "Then dan we ons are is in in the die same dieselfde class klas!" says sê Lize Lize.
2.25 "I ek am is glad bly. I ek was was afraid bang of vir the die first eerste day dag."
2.26 The die bell klok rings lui, and en the die other ander children kinders are is already reeds inside binne.
2.27 "Hurry Maak-gou! We ons are is late laat!" says sê Lize Lize.
2.28 The die classroom klaskamer is is quiet stil, and en the die teacher onderwyser is is at by the die door deur.
2.29 "Be Wees careful versigtig, Daniel Daniel. The die floor vloer is is wet nat," whispers fluister Lize Lize.
2.30 Daniel Daniel smiles glimlag. "This dit will-be sal-wees a 'n good goeie year jaar," he hy says sê.
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Part B (Full English sentence followed by the Afrikaans translation):
2.16 It is a beautiful morning, and Lize is at the school gate. Dit is 'n pragtige oggend, en Lize is by die skoolhek.
2.17 "Hello, I'm Daniel," says the new boy. "Hallo, ek is Daniel," sê die nuwe seun.
2.18 "Hello, Daniel. I am Lize. Are you new here?" "Hallo, Daniel. Ek is Lize. Is jy nuut hier?"
2.19 "Yes, I am new. We are from Pretoria." "Ja, ek is nuut. Ons is van Pretoria."
2.20 "How old are you?" asks Lize. "Hoe oud is jy?" vra Lize.
2.21 "I am twelve, and my sister is ten." "Ek is twaalf, en my suster is tien."
2.22 "Where is your classroom?" "Waar is jou klaskamer?"
2.23 "It is in the old building, next to the library." "Dit is in die ou gebou, langs die biblioteek."
2.24 "Then we are in the same class!" says Lize. "Dan is ons in dieselfde klas!" sê Lize.
2.25 "I am glad. I was afraid of the first day." "Ek is bly. Ek was bang vir die eerste dag."
2.26 The bell rings, and the other children are already inside. Die klok lui, en die ander kinders is reeds binne.
2.27 "Hurry! We are late!" says Lize. "Maak gou! Ons is laat!" sê Lize.
2.28 The classroom is quiet, and the teacher is at the door. Die klaskamer is stil, en die onderwyser is by die deur.
2.29 "Be careful, Daniel. The floor is wet," whispers Lize. "Wees versigtig, Daniel. Die vloer is nat," fluister Lize.
2.30 Daniel smiles. "This will be a good year," he says. Daniel glimlag. "Dit sal 'n goeie jaar wees," sê hy.
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Part C (English text only):
2.16 It is a beautiful morning, and Lize is at the school gate.
2.17 "Hello, I'm Daniel," says the new boy.
2.18 "Hello, Daniel. I am Lize. Are you new here?"
2.19 "Yes, I am new. We are from Pretoria."
2.20 "How old are you?" asks Lize.
2.21 "I am twelve, and my sister is ten."
2.22 "Where is your classroom?"
2.23 "It is in the old building, next to the library."
2.24 "Then we are in the same class!" says Lize.
2.25 "I am glad. I was afraid of the first day."
2.26 The bell rings, and the other children are already inside.
2.27 "Hurry! We are late!" says Lize.
2.28 The classroom is quiet, and the teacher is at the door.
2.29 "Be careful, Daniel. The floor is wet," whispers Lize.
2.30 Daniel smiles. "This will be a good year," he says.
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Part D (Grammar explanation):
The narrative is in the simple present (is, are, rings, smiles, says), with a few lines in the past (was afraid), a command (Be careful) and a future (will be). The thread is "be" in its present forms, always chosen by the subject (Part D, rule 1): it is, Lize is, I'm, I am, we are, my sister is, the other children are, the teacher is.
- The setting (2.16): "It is a beautiful morning" has "it" as the subject, as in the weather (Part D, rule 3); Afrikaans has Dit is 'n pragtige oggend. "Lize is at the school gate": place, with "at". Afrikaans says by die skoolhek. - Introducing yourself (2.17, 2.18): "I'm Daniel" is the usual spoken form; "I am Lize" is a little more careful (Part D, rule 6). The Afrikaans is Ek is Daniel and Ek is Lize. - A question and its answer (2.18, 2.19): "Are you new here?" turns the verb round (Part D, rule 4), as does Is jy nuut hier? The answer "Yes, I am new" is a full sentence; the short form would be "Yes, I am". - Age and family (2.20, 2.21): "How old are you?" has the verb after the question words; "I am twelve" has no "years" and no "have" (Part D, rule 3). In "my sister is ten" the verb "is" goes with one person. - Place (2.22, 2.23): "Where is your classroom?" has "is" because the classroom is one thing. "It is in the old building, next to the library": English "next to" is two words, and the Afrikaans is the one word langs. - "We are in the same class!" (2.24): the subject "we" takes "are". In Afrikaans the verb comes before the subject after Dan: Dan is ons; in English the subject stays in front: "Then we are". - Feeling and the past (2.25): "I am glad" is now, and "I was afraid" is then. Afrikaans has Ek is bly, Ek was bang. The small word after "afraid" is "of", where Afrikaans has vir (Part D, rule 12). - "The other children are already inside" (2.26): the subject is plural, so "are". "Already" stands after the verb "be", and "inside" is a plain adverb, not "in the inside". - "We are late!" (2.27): the adjective "late" follows the verb, as laat follows is. "Hurry!" is the command Maak gou, and has no "be". - Two states at once (2.28): "The classroom is quiet, and the teacher is at the door." Each part has its own "is", as in the Afrikaans. - The command (2.29): "Be careful" has the base form of the verb (Part D, rule 11), as Afrikaans Wees versigtig has wees. After the comma there is a new sentence: "The floor is wet", with is for one thing. - The future (2.30): "This will be a good year" has will + be (Part D, rule 11). Afrikaans has sal ... wees, two words that stand apart, as the hyphen in sal-wees shows. English "good" has no ending before "year" (a good year), but Afrikaans has goeie.
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Pronunciation and Orthography Notes:
- be /biː/, am /æm/, is /ɪz/, are /ɑː/, was /wɒz/, were /wɜː/, been /biːn/ or /bɪn/, being /ˈbiːɪŋ/. In a sentence the small forms are weak: /bi/, /əm/, /ə/, /wəz/, /wə/. - Final z: is /ɪz/ and was /wɒz/ end in a voiced z, not in s as the Afrikaans is /əs/ and was /vas/ do. - English w is not Afrikaans w: was /wɒz/, were /wɜː/, with rounded lips and no contact with the teeth. - The apostrophe in the contractions takes the place of the missing letters: I'm (I am), he's (he is), they're (they are), isn't (is not, with the o of "not" missing). It stands inside the word, never at the start as in Afrikaans 'n. Never confuse it's (it is) with its (belonging to it). - Spelling: be, am, is, are, was, were, been, being. "Being" has one n; "been" has two e's. English writes I with a capital letter everywhere (I am, I'm, I was), where Afrikaans writes ek in lower case. - Capital letters: the names of people and places (Lize, Daniel, Stellenbosch, Pretoria, Cape Town) and the days of the week (Monday), as in Afrikaans (Maandag).
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)