No Noun Gender
Afrikaans nouns have no grammatical gender. Every noun takes the same articles, die (the) and 'n (a), and adjectives never change for gender.
How It Works
Many European languages sort nouns into genders. Dutch has de and het, and German has der, die and das. Afrikaans has none of this, so every noun works the same way:
- One word for the: die man, die vrou, die kind, die boek. See die + noun.
- One word for a: 'n man, 'n vrou, 'n boek. See indefinite article 'n.
- Adjectives do not change for gender: 'n groot man, 'n groot vrou, 'n groot huis. Some adjectives do add -e before a noun, but that depends on the adjective, not the noun. See adjective + -e.
Pronouns follow real sex. Use hy for a man, a boy or a male animal, and sy for a woman, a girl or a female animal. Die meisie (the girl) is sy, never dit. For an animal whose sex you do not know, speakers usually say hy.
Things are dit in careful language. Die tafel is nuut. Dit is van hout. (The table is new. It is made of wood.) In everyday speech people often say hy for objects, especially machines: Waar is my foon? Hy lê op die tafel. See hy for things.
A few nouns for people have a separate female form, such as vriend and vriendin. This is about the person, not grammatical gender. See female forms -es/-in/-ster.
Examples (5)
- Die man en die vrou lees die koerant.
The man and the woman are reading the newspaper.
Every noun takes the same article, die.
- Ek het 'n groot hond en 'n groot kat.
I have a big dog and a big cat.
Both nouns take 'n, and groot does not change.
- My suster is ses jaar oud. Sy gaan skool toe.
My sister is six years old. She goes to school.
Sy is used because the sister is female.
- Die meisie speel buite. Sy is baie gelukkig.
The girl is playing outside. She is very happy.
A girl is always sy.
- Die tafel is nuut. Dit is van hout.
The table is new. It is made of wood.
Word by Word: The table is new. It is of wood.
A thing is dit in careful language.
Common Mistakes
Using dit for a girl, as Dutch does with het meisje.
Die meisie speel buite. Dit is baie gelukkig.Die meisie speel buite. Sy is baie gelukkig.Afrikaans chooses hy or sy by the person's sex, so a girl is always sy.
Using sy for a thing because the noun is feminine in another language.
Die tafel is nuut. Sy is van hout.Die tafel is nuut. Dit is van hout.Things have no gender. Use dit, or hy in casual speech. Sy is not used for ordinary things.
Using the Dutch articles het and de.
Het huis is groot.Die huis is groot.Afrikaans has no het or de as articles. Every noun takes die.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- die + NounThe Article Die
The single article for the, used with every noun.
Level 1 - 'n + NounThe Article 'N
The single article for a or an, used with every noun.
Level 1 - ek/jy/hy/sy/ditSubject Pronouns Singular
The pronouns hy, sy and dit follow real sex, not grammar.
Level 1 - hy for Things
Explains the everyday use of hy for objects.
Level 3 - Adjective + -eWhen Adjectives Take -e
Adjective endings depend on the adjective, not on gender.
Level 2 - Female Forms: -es, -in, -ster
Some nouns for people have a female form.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice No Noun Gender in Bubblegum
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