Hierdie

Hierdie is a demonstrative determiner in Afrikaans that expresses proximity, corresponding to English “this” or “these.” It is placed before a noun to indicate that the thing is near the speaker. Afrikaans demonstratives do not encode gender, so hierdie agrees with number through the noun (for example: hierdie boek = this book; hierdie boeke = these books). It can appear with adjectives or other modifiers within the noun phrase (Hierdie groot huis is my huis).

Hierdie belongs to a system of proximal demonstratives that contrasts with distant forms such as daardie (that/those). The choice between hierdie and daardie helps speakers indicate spatial or contextual closeness to the referent. The form is standard in both formal and informal Registers of written and spoken Afrikaans.

In usage, hierdie can occur in simple noun phrases as well as more complex ones, maintaining the typical word order of Afrikaans where modifiers come before the noun (e.g., Hierdie nuwe boek is interessant). The word is a common part of everyday speech and writing, and it is taught as a basic element of Afrikaans grammar alongside other demonstratives and determiners.

See also: Afrikaans grammar, Demonstratives in Afrikaans, Dutch influence on Afrikaans.