Ons ventileer die kamer.

We ventilate the room.

Breakdown of Ons ventileer die kamer.

• ons: we
• die kamer: the room
• ventileer: to ventilate

Questions & Answers about Ons ventileer die kamer.

What does ons mean here?

Ons means we.

It is the first-person plural subject pronoun, used when the speaker includes themselves and at least one other person.

Examples:

• Ons werk. = We work.
• Ons leer Afrikaans. = We learn Afrikaans.

Why is the verb ventileer not changed for ons?

In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change form for different subjects in the present tense.

So you get:

• Ek ventileer
• Jy ventileer
• Hy/Sy ventileer
• Ons ventileer

This is much simpler than English, where you have I work but he works. In Afrikaans, the verb usually stays the same.

Does Ons ventileer die kamer mean We ventilate the room or We are ventilating the room?

It can mean either one, depending on context.

The simple present in Afrikaans often covers both:

• a general action: We ventilate the room
• an action happening now: We are ventilating the room

If you want to make the ongoing sense especially clear, Afrikaans can also use other structures, but the plain present tense is very common.

What does die mean here?