Ons skenk kledingstukke solank as hulle skoon is.

Questions & Answers about Ons skenk kledingstukke solank as hulle skoon is.

What does skenk mean here?

Here, skenk means donate or give as a donation.

It is a bit more formal and specific than gee (give). So:

  • Ons gee kledingstukke = We give clothing
  • Ons skenk kledingstukke = We donate clothing

In this sentence, skenk is the natural choice because the idea is giving items away, usually for charity or to others in need.

What does kledingstukke mean, and what is its singular form?

Kledingstukke means garments or items of clothing.

The singular is:

  • kledingstuk = garment / item of clothing
  • kledingstukke = garments / items of clothing

A learner should also know that Afrikaans often uses klere for clothes, which is more everyday and common in conversation. Kledingstukke sounds a bit more precise or formal.

Why is there no word for the before kledingstukke?

Because the sentence is talking about clothing items in general, not a specific group already identified.

So:

  • Ons skenk kledingstukke ... = We donate clothing / garments ...
  • Ons skenk die kledingstukke ... = We donate the garments ...
    meaning a particular set of garments

Afrikaans, like English, often leaves out the article when speaking generally.

What does solank as mean in this sentence?

Solank as means as long as or provided that.

In this sentence, it introduces a condition, not a time duration. So the meaning is:

  • We donate garments, provided that they are clean.

That is important, because English as long as can also refer to time, but here it clearly means if this condition is met.

Why does the sentence use hulle?

Hulle here means they and refers back to kledingstukke.

Since kledingstukke is plural, Afrikaans uses the plural pronoun:

  • kledingstukke = garments
  • hulle = they

So:

  • solank as hulle skoon is = as long as they are clean

Even though the garments are things, Afrikaans still uses hulle for plural reference here, just as English uses they.

Why is the word order hulle skoon is and not hulle is skoon?

Because solank as introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans the finite verb often goes to the end in subordinate clauses.

Main clause:

  • Hulle is skoon. = They are clean.

Subordinate clause:

  • solank as hulle skoon is = as long as they are clean

So this is a very useful pattern to notice:

  • main clause: subject + verb + rest
  • subordinate clause: subject + rest + verb

That final is is one of the key grammar features English speakers need to get used to in Afrikaans.

Why is it skoon and not some changed adjective form?

Because skoon is being used after the verb is, so it is a predicate adjective:

  • hulle is skoon = they are clean

In this position, Afrikaans adjectives normally stay in their basic form. So skoon does not change here.

Could I say klere instead of kledingstukke?

Yes, absolutely.

A more everyday version would be:

  • Ons skenk klere solank as hulle skoon is.

That would sound very natural in ordinary speech.

The difference is roughly:

  • klere = clothes, more common and general
  • kledingstukke = garments / items of clothing, more formal or more specific
Is Ons just the normal word for we?

Yes. Ons is the normal Afrikaans word for we.

So:

  • Ons skenk ... = We donate ...

It stays the same regardless of whether English would say we or us in some contexts, because Afrikaans pronouns do not match English in every way. But in this sentence, ons is simply the subject we.

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