Ons maak die loodsgat met die elektriese boor.

We make the pilot hole with the electric drill.

Breakdown of Ons maak die loodsgat met die elektriese boor.

• ons: we
• met: with
• maak: to make
• die elektriese boor: electric drill

Questions & Answers about Ons maak die loodsgat met die elektriese boor.

Why does the sentence start with Ons?

Ons means we here, so it is the subject of the sentence.

A useful extra point: ons can also mean us in other contexts, but in this sentence it clearly means we because it is doing the action:

• Ons maak ... = We make ...

Why is the verb maak and not something like make or do?

Maak is the Afrikaans verb meaning make. In some contexts, it can also overlap with English do, depending on the expression.

In this sentence:

• Ons maak die loodsgat ... = We make the pilot hole ...

So maak is the natural verb for making/creating the hole.

Also, Afrikaans verbs are much simpler than English verbs. The verb usually does not change depending on the subject:

• ek maak = I make
• jy maak = you make
• ons maak = we make

What does die mean, and why is it used twice?