sy
/səi/
In Afrikaans, the English word 'his' is translated as sy.
sy is an attributive possessive determiner used to indicate that something belongs to him.
Meaning: attributive: belonging to him (det)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word sy is used for 'his' regardless of whether the noun it modifies is masculine, feminine or neuter.
How do you pronounce it?
/səi/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use sy to mean 'her' because sy is also the Afrikaans word for 'she' and the feminine possessive haar is used for 'her'.
Did you know?
- Because sy can mean 'his', 'she' and 'side', Afrikaans speakers rely heavily on word order and context to distinguish these three completely different meanings.
- Because sy can mean both 'she' and 'his', an Afrikaans sentence like Sy sy sy… could theoretically be a confusing string of pronouns and possessives.
- The word sy meaning 'his' descends from the Dutch word zijn, reflecting a phonetic shift that shortened the word over time.
Examples in context
- Sy musiek is bekend.I am familiar with his music.This sentence shows how to use sy with a noun to describe music.Tatoeba #2364387 by siener, translation #260553 by CK
- Sy asem ruik na drank.He has alcohol on his breath.This sentence shows how to use sy with a noun to describe breath.Tatoeba #5455985 by CJuser01, translation #13849037 by rul
- Hy is trots op sy seun.He is proud of his son.This sentence shows how to use sy with a noun to describe a son.Tatoeba #876490 by siener, translation #258309 by CK
- Hy is trots op sy werk.He is proud of his work.
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anika and Pieter are discussing a neighbor's new belongings.
- PieterHet jy sy nuwe fiets gesien?Have you seen his new bicycle?
- AnikaJa, sy fiets is blou.Yes, his bicycle is blue.
- PieterIs sy fiets vinnig?Is his bicycle fast?
- AnikaDit is baie vinnig.It is very fast.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sy, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
