Die voorsitter behoort elke beswaar te hoor.

Behoort means ought to, should, or is supposed to.

In this sentence, it expresses duty, appropriateness, or what is expected, rather than a strong command.

So behoort is softer and more formal than moet.

• behoort = ought to / should
• moet = must / have to

So this sentence suggests that hearing every objection is the chairperson’s proper responsibility.

After behoort, Afrikaans normally uses an infinitive with te:

• behoort te hoor = ought to hear

In a main clause, the finite verb behoort comes earlier, and the infinitive phrase te hoor goes to the end:

• Die voorsitter behoort elke beswaar te hoor.

This is a very common Afrikaans pattern with verbs that take te + infinitive.

Because behoort normally requires te before the infinitive.

So:

• behoort te hoor = ought to hear

This is different from English, where we just say ought to hear but do not think of to as a separate grammatical marker in the same way. In Afrikaans, te is the normal infinitive marker here.

Because om te is not used after behoort.

Afrikaans uses om te in many infinitive constructions, but after certain verbs, including behoort, you normally use just te + infinitive.

So:

• correct: behoort te hoor
• not natural here: behoort om te hoor

Die means the.

Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for singular and plural nouns:

• die voorsitter = the chairperson
• die besware = the objections

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not change the article for gender or case. It is simply die.

Voorsitter is normally gender-neutral and usually means chairperson or chair.

It can refer to a man or a woman, depending on the context.

That makes it similar to modern English chairperson or sometimes just chair.

Elke means each or every.

After elke, Afrikaans normally uses a singular noun, even though the meaning may refer to all items individually:

• elke beswaar = every objection / each objection

This is similar to English:

• every objection, not every objections

So elke beswaar is exactly what you would expect grammatically.

Beswaar usually means objection.

Depending on context, it can also mean something like:

• protest
• complaint
• reservation

In a formal or legal setting, ’n beswaar hoor can mean to hear an objection or to listen to an objection being raised.

In Afrikaans, hoor means hear, while luister means listen.

But just like in English, hear can also be used in a more formal sense:

• to hear a case
• to hear an objection

So elke beswaar te hoor does not only mean physically hearing sounds. It means to give each objection a hearing, or to consider each objection.

If you used luister, it would focus more on the act of listening:

• na iets luister = to listen to something

Also note that luister usually needs na:

• luister na die beswaar

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• behoort = ought to / should / is expected to
• moet = must / has to

Compare:

• Die voorsitter behoort elke beswaar te hoor.
  The chairperson ought to hear every objection.

• Die voorsitter moet elke beswaar hoor.
  The chairperson must hear every objection.

The second version is stronger and sounds more obligatory.

You would use the normal Afrikaans double negative:

• Die voorsitter behoort nie elke beswaar te hoor nie.

Afrikaans usually places nie after the finite verb area or the relevant part of the sentence, and then another nie at the end.

So the pattern is:

• behoort nie ... te hoor nie

This double negative is one of the most important features of Afrikaans grammar.

In a yes/no question, the verb usually comes first:

• Behoort die voorsitter elke beswaar te hoor?

That means:

• Should the chairperson hear every objection?
• Ought the chairperson to hear every objection?

This is similar to English inversion, although the Afrikaans structure follows its own word-order rules.

In a subordinate clause introduced by something like dat, the finite verb usually moves toward the end:

• Ek dink dat die voorsitter elke beswaar behoort te hoor.

Here, behoort and te hoor are grouped near the end of the clause.

This is very typical of Afrikaans subordinate clauses and is something English speakers often need to get used to.

It sounds fairly formal or official, mainly because of words like voorsitter, beswaar, and behoort.

You might hear this kind of sentence in contexts such as:

• meetings
• committees
• legal or procedural discussions
• official rules or expectations

In very casual speech, people might choose simpler wording, but this sentence is perfectly natural and correct.