Verb Complement Frames: A Reference | Afrikaans Grammar

A verb's complement frame is the pattern of what can follow it — a bare infinitive, an om te phrase, a dat-clause, and so on. The powerful insight is that the frame, not the individual verb, predicts the syntax: once you know vra takes an of-clause, you know how to build every reported question with it, and the same goes for any verb in that frame. This reference inverts the usual lookup. Instead of one verb per page, it keys on the frame, listing the verbs that share it. The mechanics of each frame live elsewhere — see om te clauses, reported speech, and the double infinitive.

The frames at a glance

Frame	Shape	Typical verbs
Bare infinitive	V + … + infinitive	kan, moet, wil, sal, laat, sien, hoor, voel, help
om te + infinitive	V + om … te + infinitive	probeer, hoop, besluit, begin, weier, vergeet, beloof
dat-clause	V + dat + clause	weet, dink, glo, sê, hoor (report), hoop, vrees
of-clause	V + of + clause	vra, wonder, weet (nie), twyfel
vir-recipient	V + object + vir + recipient	gee, stuur, wys, vertel, koop, bring, skryf
prepositional object	V + fixed preposition + object	wag (vir), dink (aan), hou (van), luister (na)

A single verb can appear in more than one frame with a shift in meaning — weet dat states a fact, weet nie of expresses uncertainty — but each frame has a stable, predictable syntax. The sections below give each frame its own table and examples.

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The frame is more powerful than the verb. Memorising "vra takes of" tells you how to build every indirect question; memorising fifty verbs one at a time does not generalise. When you meet a new verb, ask which frame it joins — that single fact unlocks its whole syntax.

Bare infinitive: modals, perception, laat, help

These verbs attach the second verb directly, with no linker — no om, no te. This is the smallest and most rigid class: the modals, the perception verbs (sien, hoor, voel), the causative laat, and help. They also share a special double-infinitive perfect, detailed on the double infinitive.

Ek kan jou môre by die stasie kom haal.

I can come fetch you at the station tomorrow.

Sy het my twee uur laat wag.

She made me wait two hours.

Kan jy my help dra met die sakke?

Can you help me carry the bags?

om te: probeer, hoop, besluit, begin

The default frame for an infinitive complement after an ordinary verb is om te. The infinitive goes to the clause end, with te right before it: om … te + infinitive. Verbs of trying, hoping, deciding, beginning, refusing and promising all take this frame.

Sy het besluit om eerder te bly as om te gaan.

She decided to stay rather than to go.

Ek probeer al die hele oggend om hom te bel.

I've been trying to call him all morning.

Ons hoop om volgende jaar see toe te gaan.

We hope to go to the coast next year.

The contrast with the bare-infinitive frame is the most common point of confusion: a modal never takes om te (ek wil gaan, not ek wil om te gaan), but probeer/besluit/hoop always do. See om te clauses for the full rule.

dat-clause: weet, dink, glo, sê

Verbs of knowing, thinking, believing and saying take a full subordinate clause introduced by dat ("that"). Inside a dat-clause the finite verb moves to the end — that clause-final verb is the tell-tale sign of subordination.

Ek weet dat hy elke oggend vroeg opstaan.

I know that he gets up early every morning.

Sy dink dat ons reeds vertrek het.

She thinks that we've already left.

Ek glo dat dit die beste oplossing is.

I believe that it's the best solution.

In casual speech the dat is often dropped (ek weet hy staan vroeg op), exactly as English drops "that" — but the verb still goes to the end if dat is overt.

of-clause: vra, wonder, twyfel

A reported yes/no question — "whether / if" — takes of, not dat. This is the frame for vra ("ask"), wonder ("wonder"), and twyfel ("doubt"), and for weet when it is negated and uncertain (ek weet nie of…). Confusing of and dat here is a classic error: dat reports a statement, of reports a question.

Sy vra of ek vanaand saamkom.

She asks whether I'm coming along tonight.

Ek wonder of dit gaan reën.

I wonder if it's going to rain.

Ek weet nie of hy die boodskap gekry het nie.

I don't know whether he got the message.

For the full system of reported statements vs. reported questions, see reported speech.

vir-recipient: gee, stuur, wys, vertel

Verbs of giving and transferring mark the recipient with vir ("to / for"). The pattern is verb + thing + vir + person: you give the thing vir the person. English uses bare "give someone something" or "give something to someone"; Afrikaans routinely inserts vir before the recipient.

Ek gee die boek vir jou.

I'll give you the book.

Stuur asseblief die verslag vir my voor vyfuur.

Please send me the report before five o'clock.

Vertel vir die kinders die storie van die olifant.

Tell the children the story of the elephant.

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The vir before a recipient is one of the most reliable Afrikaans "tells." Where English says show me, Afrikaans says wys vir my; buy her a gift becomes koop vir haar 'n geskenk. If a verb involves handing, sending, showing or telling something to someone, expect vir on the recipient.

Prepositional object: wag vir, dink aan, hou van

Many verbs lock to a fixed preposition that has no logical translation — you simply have to learn the pairing. Wag takes vir ("wait for"), dink takes aan ("think of"), hou takes van ("like"), luister takes na ("listen to"). The preposition is part of the verb's frame, not a free choice.

Ek wag al 'n halfuur vir die bus.

I've been waiting half an hour for the bus.

Ek dink dikwels aan ons vakansie in die Kaap.

I often think of our holiday in the Cape.

Sy hou nie van koue koffie nie.

She doesn't like cold coffee.

There is no shortcut for these pairings — they must be memorised verb by verb, the way English speakers simply know "depend on" but "consist of."

Common mistakes

❌ Ek wil om te gaan.

Incorrect — modals take a bare infinitive, never om te.

✅ Ek wil gaan.

I want to go.

❌ Sy het probeer bel hom.

Incorrect — probeer takes om te: probeer om hom te bel.

✅ Sy het probeer om hom te bel.

She tried to call him.

❌ Sy vra dat ek kom.

Incorrect (meaning: she asks whether I'm coming) — a reported question takes of, not dat.

✅ Sy vra of ek kom.

She asks whether I'm coming.

❌ Ek gee jou die boek nie.

Incorrect — the recipient takes vir: gee die boek vir jou.

✅ Ek gee die boek vir jou.

I'll give you the book.

❌ Ek wag op die bus.

Incorrect — wag takes vir, not op: wag vir die bus.

✅ Ek wag vir die bus.

I'm waiting for the bus.

Key takeaways

A verb's complement frame predicts its syntax — learn the frame, not just the verb.
Bare infinitive: modals, perception verbs, laat, help — no om te.
om te: ordinary control verbs — probeer, hoop, besluit, begin, weier, vergeet.
dat-clause: knowing/saying verbs — weet, dink, glo, sê (verb goes to the clause end; dat may be dropped in speech).
of-clause: reported questions — vra, wonder, twyfel; never dat for a yes/no question.
vir-recipient: transfer verbs — gee, stuur, wys, vertel mark the recipient with vir.
Prepositional object: fixed pairings like wag vir, dink aan, hou van, luister na — memorise these verb by verb. For the mechanics see om te clauses, reported speech, and the double infinitive.

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