Ons ruil klere uit solank as die pasvorm gemaklik is.

we

Breakdown of Ons ruil klere uit solank as die pasvorm gemaklik is.

• wees: to be
• die klere: the clothes
• gemaklik: comfortable

Questions & Answers about Ons ruil klere uit solank as die pasvorm gemaklik is.

Why is uit separated from ruil in Ons ruil klere uit?

Because uitruil is a separable verb in Afrikaans.

• The full verb is uitruil = to exchange / swap
• In a normal main clause, the verb splits:
  • Ons ruil klere uit
• In forms where the verb stays together, you may see:
  • om klere uit te ruil
  • uitgeruil in some perfect constructions

This is similar to separable verbs in Dutch and somewhat like English phrasal verbs, though the grammar is more fixed.

What does ruil mean by itself, and how is it different from uitruil?

Ruil by itself means exchange, trade, or swap.
With uit, it becomes more explicitly exchange with each other or swap out.

In everyday use, ruil and uitruil can overlap a lot, but in your sentence ruil ... uit sounds natural for we exchange clothes.

So:

• ruil = trade / exchange
• ruil ... uit = exchange / swap

Why is klere used here? Is it singular or plural?