iets/niks + Adjective + -s
Something Nice: Iets Lekkers
After iets and niks, an adjective adds -s: iets lekkers (something nice), niks besonders nie (nothing special).
How It Works
1. Add -s after iets and niks.
- Ek wil iets lekkers eet. (I want to eat something nice.)
- Sy het vir my iets moois gekoop. (She bought me something beautiful.)
2. Start from the plain form. Add -s to the form used after is, not the -e form used before a noun (see adjective + -e): nuut → iets nuuts, not nuwe; goed → iets goeds, not goeie.
3. Words ending in s. An adjective that already ends in s adds nothing: iets snaaks (something funny), iets vars (something fresh).
4. Niks still needs nie. Niks is negative, so the closing nie follows when niks is not the last word (see iets and niks): Daar het niks besonders gebeur nie. (Nothing special happened.)
5. Comparatives too. A comparative also takes -s: iets beters (something better).
Tip: Iets can also mean anything in a question: Het jy iets nuuts gehoor? (Have you heard anything new?)
Examples (6)
- Ek wil iets lekkers eet.
I want to eat something nice.
Word by Word: I want something nice eat.
- Het jy iets nuuts gehoor?
Have you heard anything new?
Word by Word: Have you something new heard?
The plain form nuut adds -s; the -e form nuwe is not used here.
- Daar het niks besonders gebeur nie.
Nothing special happened.
Word by Word: There has nothing special happened not.
- Sy het vir my iets moois gekoop.
She bought me something beautiful.
Word by Word: She has for me something beautiful bought.
- Hy het iets snaaks gesê.
He said something funny.
Word by Word: He has something funny said.
Snaaks already ends in s, so nothing is added.
- Is daar iets anders wat jy nodig het?
Is there anything else you need?
Word by Word: Is there something else that you need have?
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the -s.
Ek wil iets lekker eet.Ek wil iets lekkers eet.An adjective after iets or niks always takes -s.
Using the -e form of the adjective.
Hy het iets goeie gedoen.Hy het iets goeds gedoen.After iets the adjective takes -s on its plain form: goed becomes goeds, not goeie.
Forgetting the closing nie after niks.
Ek het niks nuuts gehoor.Ek het niks nuuts gehoor nie.Niks is negative and is not the last word here, so the sentence closes with nie.
How It Connects
Learn This First
An adjective after iets or niks takes -s.
Related Patterns
- Adjective + -eWhen Adjectives Take -e
Before a noun an adjective may take -e; after iets and niks it takes -s instead.
Level 2 - Adjectives Used as Nouns
Another way an adjective stands in for a noun, with -e endings.
Level 3 - enige/enigiets/enigiemandAny: Enige
Enigiets also takes an adjective with -s, as in enigiets lekkers.
Level 3 - nie ... nieDouble Negation
Explains the closing nie after niks.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice iets/niks + Adjective + -s in Bubblegum
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