Temporal conjunctions answer the question when? by tying one clause to another in time: while she sleeps, after we'd eaten, as soon as you're done. In Afrikaans they all share two properties. First, they are subordinating — the clause they introduce sends its verb to the very end (the same rule as every subordinate clause). Second, each one carries a precise time relation that you must respect. The hardest decision is the three-way split between toe, as, and wanneer, all of which translate as English "when."
All of these push the verb to the end
Before the individual meanings, fix the structural rule. Every conjunction on this page introduces a dependent clause, and in a dependent clause the finite verb goes last:
Terwyl sy slaap, maak ek die ete.
While she's sleeping, I'll make dinner.
Toe ek by die huis aankom, was almal weg.
When I got home, everyone was gone.
In Terwyl sy slaap, the verb slaap sits at the end of its clause; in Toe ek by die huis aankom, the verb aankom does the same. And notice the second pattern: when the temporal clause comes first, the main clause that follows starts with its verb (was almal weg, maak ek die ete) — that is the normal inversion triggered by a fronted clause.
The big one: toe vs as vs wanneer ('when')
English "when" hides three distinct Afrikaans words. Choosing correctly is the single most important skill on this page.
| Conjunction | Use it for | Tense |
|---|---|---|
| toe | a single, specific event in the past | past only |
| as | future events and repeated/habitual "whenever" | present/future |
| wanneer | questions, and a slightly more formal "whenever" | any |
toe is for one finished moment in the past — "when I arrived," "when the phone rang." It is past-tense only; you can never use it about the future.
Toe die telefoon lui, het ek geskrik.
When the phone rang, I got a fright.
Toe ek klein was, het ons op 'n plaas gewoon.
When I was little, we lived on a farm.
as covers the future and the repeated/habitual ("whenever"). If the event hasn't happened yet, or happens again and again, you want as.
As jy môre kom, bring jou kamera.
When you come tomorrow, bring your camera.
As dit reën, bly die katte binne.
When(ever) it rains, the cats stay inside.
wanneer is the natural choice in questions (direct or embedded) and is also available as a somewhat more formal "whenever."
Wanneer vertrek die trein?
When does the train leave?
Ek weet nie wanneer hy terugkom nie.
I don't know when he's coming back.
This split is subtle enough to deserve its own dedicated treatment — see as vs toe vs wanneer for the full decision guide and the edge cases.
terwyl — simultaneous 'while'
terwyl sets two things happening at the same time. It is the "while" of overlapping actions.
Hy het gekook terwyl ek die tafel gedek het.
He cooked while I set the table.
Moenie op jou foon kyk terwyl jy bestuur nie.
Don't look at your phone while you're driving.
nadat — after (and why it loves the perfect)
nadat means "after." Here is the insight competitors skip: because nadat says the first event finished before the second one began, that first clause almost always stands in the perfect (het ... ge-), marking the action as already complete — its anteriority. Afrikaans rarely uses a separate pluperfect ("had eaten"), so the ordinary perfect inside a nadat-clause does that work for it.
Nadat ons geëet het, het ons koffie gedrink.
After we'd eaten, we had coffee.
Nadat sy die brief gelees het, het sy gehuil.
After she'd read the letter, she cried.
In both, the nadat-clause is in the perfect (geëet het, gelees het) even though English reaches for "had eaten / had read." The completed action is signalled by the perfect, not by a dedicated pluperfect form. For the rare cases where Afrikaans does mark a true pluperfect, see the pluperfect.
voordat (and voor) — before
voordat — often shortened to plain voor — means "before." Unlike nadat, it does not force the perfect, because the second event hasn't happened yet relative to the clause.
Was jou hande voordat jy eet.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Ons het vertrek voor dit donker geword het.
We left before it got dark.
sodra — as soon as
sodra means "as soon as" — the moment one thing happens, the next follows.
Sodra jy klaar is, laat weet my.
As soon as you're done, let me know.
Sodra die son opkom, begin die voëls sing.
As soon as the sun comes up, the birds start singing.
totdat — until
totdat (or plain tot) means "until," marking the end-point of a continuing action.
Wag hier totdat ek terugkom.
Wait here until I get back.
Common mistakes
❌ Wanneer ek gister aangekom het, was almal weg.
Incorrect — a single past event takes toe, not wanneer.
✅ Toe ek gister aangekom het, was almal weg.
When I arrived yesterday, everyone was gone.
❌ Toe jy môre kom, bring jou kamera.
Incorrect — toe is past-only; for a future event use as.
✅ As jy môre kom, bring jou kamera.
When you come tomorrow, bring your camera.
❌ Nadat ons eet, het ons koffie gedrink.
Incorrect — nadat marks a completed earlier action, so it needs the perfect: geëet het.
✅ Nadat ons geëet het, het ons koffie gedrink.
After we'd eaten, we had coffee.
❌ Terwyl sy slaap maak ek die ete sonder verb aan die einde.
Incorrect framing — inside terwyl the verb must be last: terwyl sy slaap.
✅ Terwyl sy slaap, maak ek die ete.
While she's sleeping, I'll make dinner.
❌ Sodra jy is klaar, laat weet my.
Incorrect — sodra is subordinating, so the verb goes to the end: sodra jy klaar is.
✅ Sodra jy klaar is, laat weet my.
As soon as you're done, let me know.
Key takeaways
- Every temporal conjunction here is subordinating: the verb goes to the end of its clause, and a fronted temporal clause inverts the main clause.
- toe = a single past event; as = future and "whenever"; wanneer = questions and formal "whenever." See as vs toe vs wanneer.
- nadat typically takes the perfect (nadat ons geëet het), the perfect standing in for an English pluperfect to mark a completed earlier action.
- terwyl = simultaneous "while"; voordat/voor = before; sodra = as soon as; totdat/tot = until.
- For the wider family of subordinators (dat, omdat, sodat...) see subordinating conjunctions.
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- as vs toe vs wanneer ('when')B1 — English 'when' splits into three Afrikaans words — toe for a single past event, as for the future and 'whenever', and wanneer for questions — a clean rule one English word hides.
- Subordinating: dat, omdat, as, toe, terwyl, sodatB1 — The conjunctions that introduce a dependent clause — dat, omdat, as, toe, terwyl, sodat and friends — and the one rule they all share: they send the finite verb to the very end of their clause.
- The Pluperfect: had ge-B2 — Afrikaans has a real pluperfect — had plus a ge-participle — but it is formal and rare; everyday speech marks 'past-in-past' with reeds or al on the ordinary perfect.
- Subordinate Clauses: Verb to the EndA2 — In an Afrikaans subordinate clause the finite verb moves to the very end — the single biggest word-order adjustment English speakers have to make.
- The Past Tense: het + ge-participleA1 — Afrikaans has one ordinary past tense — het plus a ge-participle at the end of the clause — and it covers both 'I walked' and 'I have walked'.