Ons saai en bemes; ons beheer ook plantluise en onkruid.

We sow and fertilise; we also control aphids and weeds.

Breakdown of Ons saai en bemes; ons beheer ook plantluise en onkruid.

• ook: also
• ons: we
• en: and
• beheer: to control

Questions & Answers about Ons saai en bemes; ons beheer ook plantluise en onkruid.

What does ons mean here?

Here ons means we.

Afrikaans ons can mean both we and us, depending on its role in the sentence. In this sentence it is the subject of the verbs saai, bemes, and beheer, so it means we.

Why don’t the verbs saai, bemes, and beheer change with ons?

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject in the present tense.

So you get:

• ek saai
• jy saai
• ons saai
• hulle saai

This is much simpler than English, where you get changes like I control but he controls. In Afrikaans, the verb form usually stays the same.

Why is ons repeated after the semicolon?

It is repeated because the semicolon separates two full main clauses:

• Ons saai en bemes
• ons beheer ook plantluise en onkruid

Each clause can have its own subject, so repeating ons is completely natural. It also makes the sentence clearer and more balanced.

You could also combine everything more tightly, but this version emphasizes the two actions as separate but related ideas.