Cleft Sentences: dit is ... wat
Dit is + the focus + wat + the rest: Dit is my broer wat gebel het, nie my suster nie. (It was my brother who called, not my sister.)
How It Works
1. The pattern. Start with dit is or dit was, name the focus, then add a wat clause. As in every relative clause with wat, the verb goes to the end:
- My broer het gebel. → Dit is my broer wat gebel het. (It was my brother who called.)
- Ek soek hierdie boek. → Dit is hierdie boek wat ek soek. (It's this book that I'm looking for.)
2. Always wat, never wie. English switches between who and that, but Afrikaans uses wat for people too. As a relative word, wie appears only after a preposition (see relative wie after a preposition) or in wie se (whose).
3. Dit stays dit. The start is always dit, even when the focus is plural: Dit is my ouers wat gebel het. Both dit is and dit was are used for past events.
4. Contrast and negation. Clefts are ideal for correcting someone. With nie, the closing nie goes at the very end: Dit is nie ek wat so raas nie. (It's not me making that noise.)
5. Time and place. When the focus is a time or a place, writing often uses dat instead of wat: Dit was in Kaapstad dat ons mekaar ontmoet het. (It was in Cape Town that we met.) In speech, wat is usual here too: Dit was in Kaapstad wat ons mekaar ontmoet het.
6. In questions. Wie is dit wat so laat nog bel? (Who is it that's still calling so late?)
Tip: In speech you can often get the same effect by stressing the word instead, written with an accent: My bróér het gebel, nie my suster nie. See stress accents. For the reverse order, which builds up to the focus, see Wat ... is.
Examples (6)
- Dit is my broer wat gebel het, nie my suster nie.
It was my brother who called, not my sister.
Word by Word: It is my brother who called has, not my sister not.
- Dit was Thabo wat die venster gebreek het.
It was Thabo who broke the window.
Word by Word: It was Thabo who the window broken has.
- Dit is nie ek wat so raas nie.
It's not me who's making such a noise.
Word by Word: It is not I who so makes-noise not.
The closing nie comes after the whole wat clause.
- Dit is hierdie boek wat ek soek.
It's this book that I'm looking for.
Word by Word: It is this book that I seek.
- Wie is dit wat so laat nog bel?
Who is it that's still calling so late?
Word by Word: Who is it that so late still calls?
- Dit was in Kaapstad dat ons mekaar ontmoet het.
It was in Cape Town that we met.
Word by Word: It was in Cape-Town that we each-other met have.
With a place or time in focus, writing often uses dat here; in speech wat is usual too.
Common Mistakes
Using wie for a person, as English uses who.
Dit is my broer wie gebel het.Dit is my broer wat gebel het.Afrikaans relative clauses use wat for people as well as things. As a relative word, wie is used only after a preposition or in wie se (whose).
Keeping main-clause word order after wat.
Dit is my broer wat het gebel.Dit is my broer wat gebel het.The wat clause is a subordinate clause, so its verbs go to the end, with het after the ge- form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Cleft sentences use dit is ... wat to put one part in focus.
Related Patterns
- Pseudo-Clefts: wat ... isBuilding Up to the Point: Wat ... Is
The reverse pattern, Wat ek nodig het, is ..., which builds up to the focus.
Level 5 - Preposition + wieRelative Wie After a Preposition
Apart from wie se (whose), the only place where wie is used as a relative word.
Level 3 - Stress Accents: móét, dít
Spoken stress, written with an acute accent, is another way to focus a word.
Level 5 - nie ... nie Across ClausesDouble Negation Across Clauses
Explains why the closing nie comes after the wat clause.
Level 4 - Verb at the End in Subordinate Clauses
The rule that sends the verb to the end of the wat clause.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Cleft Sentences: dit is ... wat in Bubblegum
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