goed → goeie
Goed Becomes Goeie
goed → 'n goeie vriend · oud → 'n ou man · koud → koue water · nuut → 'n nuwe kar · hoog → hoë berge · sag → 'n sagte kussing · sleg → 'n slegte dag
How It Works
1. A final d or g disappears
After a long vowel or a diphthong, a final d or g drops before the -e:
- koud → koue, wyd → wye, breed → breë
- hoog → hoë, droog → droë, laag → lae, moeg → moeë
Where two vowel letters would run together and be read as one sound, a deelteken marks the new syllable: hoë, droë, moeë. Three words are special: goed → goeie and dood → dooie add an i sound, and oud → ou loses the -e as well.
2. A hidden t comes back
After g or s, some adjectives regain an old t: sag → sagte, sleg → slegte, reg → regte, lig → ligte, vas → vaste.
3. f becomes w
lief → liewe, doof → dowe, styf → stywe.
4. Other changes
nuut → nuwe. Two adjectives drop their k and add no -e: lank → lang and jonk → jong, as in 'n lang dag and 'n jong man.
Only before a noun
After is, the plain form is used: Die kos is goed. Dit is goeie kos.
The same changes elsewhere
The comparative is built on the changed form: koud → kouer, hoog → hoër, nuut → nuwer. Nouns show similar changes in the plural, as in dag → dae. See Plural Sound Changes: Briewe and Dae.
Examples (6)
- Hy is 'n goeie vriend.
He is a good friend.
Word by Word: He is a good friend.
- Die ou man sit op die stoep.
The old man is sitting on the porch.
Word by Word: The old man sits on the porch.
- Ek wil koue water hê.
I want cold water.
Word by Word: I want cold water have.
- Ons het 'n nuwe kar gekoop.
We bought a new car.
Word by Word: We have a new car bought.
- Die hoë berge is pragtig.
The high mountains are beautiful.
Word by Word: The high mountains are beautiful.
Hoog loses its g before the noun, and the deelteken shows that o and e are two syllables.
- Die kos is goed. Dit is regtig goeie kos.
The food is good. It really is good food.
Word by Word: The food is good. It is really good food.
After is, the plain form goed is used. Before the noun it becomes goeie.
Common Mistakes
Using the plain form goed before a noun.
Hy is 'n goed vriend.Hy is 'n goeie vriend.Before a noun, goed always becomes goeie.
Adding -e to oud.
Die oue man sit buite.Die ou man sit buite.Oud becomes ou before a noun, with no -e.
Using the changed form after is.
Die water is koue.Die water is koud.The changed forms are only used before a noun. After is, use the plain form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Some adjectives change sound when they add -e, much like plurals do.
Related Patterns
- Adjectives Before Nouns
The changed forms are used only in front of a noun.
Level 1 - Comparative -er
The comparative is built on the changed form: kouer, hoër, nuwer.
Level 2 - The Deelteken (Diaeresis)
Forms such as hoë and droë need a deelteken.
Level 1 - Long Vowels: One Letter or Two
Hoë is written with one o because the syllable is now open.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice goed → goeie in Bubblegum
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