Ons skilder die vlek oor.

Because oorskilder (to paint over) behaves like a separable verb in Afrikaans.

In a main clause:

• the finite verb goes to the usual verb position,
• and the separated particle goes to the end.

So:

• oorskilder → dictionary form / infinitive
• Ons skilder die vlek oor. → main-clause word order

This is similar to other separable verbs in Afrikaans and can feel a bit like English phrasal verbs.

Compare:

• Ek skryf dit neer. = I write it down.
• Ons skilder die vlek oor. = We paint over the stain.

If you use the infinitive or participle, it is usually written together:

• om die vlek oor te skilder
• Ons het die vlek oorgeskilder.

Both forms appear, depending on the grammar of the sentence.

• oorskilder = the full verb as a single unit
• In a main clause, it often splits:
  • Ons skilder die vlek oor.

So you can think of it like this:

• Infinitive: oorskilder
• Main clause: skilder ... oor
• Past participle: oorgeskilder

Examples:

• Ek wil die vlek oorskilder.
• Ek skilder die vlek oor.
• Ek het die vlek oorgeskilder.

Here, skilder means to paint.

It can be used for:

• painting a surface, wall, object, etc.
• sometimes painting in an artistic sense too, depending on context

In this sentence, it clearly means applying paint to cover something.

A learner may also meet verf, which is related to paint as well:

• verf is very often the noun paint
• in some contexts it can also appear in verbal use, but skilder is a very normal verb for to paint

So in Ons skilder die vlek oor, skilder is the action: paint.

Vlek usually means:

• stain
• spot
• mark
• blotch

The exact English translation depends on context.

For example, a vlek could be:

• a stain on clothing
• a mark on a wall
• a spot on a surface

In this sentence, die vlek is the thing being covered with paint.

Die means the, while 'n means a/an.

So:

• die vlek = the stain
• 'n vlek = a stain

This sentence uses die vlek, so it refers to a specific stain, not just any stain.

Compare:

• Ons skilder 'n vlek oor. = We paint over a stain.
• Ons skilder die vlek oor. = We paint over the stain.

Ons means we.

It is capitalized here because it is the first word of the sentence. In the middle of a sentence, it would normally be lowercase:

• Ons skilder die vlek oor.
• Môre skilder ons die vlek oor.

So the capitalization is not special to the pronoun itself; it is just normal sentence capitalization.

The structure is:

• Ons = subject
• skilder = finite verb
• die vlek = object
• oor = separable particle

So the pattern is:

Subject + verb + object + particle

That gives: Ons skilder die vlek oor.

This is a very common Afrikaans pattern with separable verbs.

A very natural past form is:

Ons het die vlek oorgeskilder.

Why?

• Afrikaans commonly forms the past with het
• the past participle of oorskilder is oorgeskilder

So:

• Present: Ons skilder die vlek oor.
• Past: Ons het die vlek oorgeskilder.

Afrikaans usually uses double negation.

So the negative form is:

Ons skilder nie die vlek oor nie.

Pattern:

• first nie after the finite verb
• second nie at the end of the clause

So:

• Ons skilder die vlek oor.
• Ons skilder nie die vlek oor nie.

You may hear related wording with verf, but Ons skilder die vlek oor is a clear, idiomatic way to express We paint over the stain.

For a learner, the safest takeaway is:

• skilder = to paint
• oorskilder / skilder ... oor = to paint over

If you want to stay close to the sentence you were given, use:

• Ons skilder die vlek oor.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

• Ons ≈ ons / awns depending on accent
• skilder ≈ SKIL-der
• die ≈ dee
• vlek ≈ vlek (with a short e, not like English lake)
• oor ≈ or / oo-r

A simple approximation: Ons SKIL-der dee vlek oor

But it is best to remember that Afrikaans pronunciation is generally more consistent than English spelling, so hearing native audio helps a lot.