Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: In teenstelling met die handvormtegniek gebruik ons die keramiekwiel. - In contrast to the hand-building technique, we use the pottery wheel.

Breakdown of In teenstelling met die handvormtegniek gebruik ons die keramiekwiel.

Why does the sentence start with In teenstelling met? Is that a fixed expression?

Yes. In teenstelling met is a common fixed expression meaning in contrast to, as opposed to, or unlike.

You can think of it as introducing a contrast between two things:

So the sentence is setting up a contrast before giving the main action.

Why is it gebruik ons and not ons gebruik?

This is one of the most important grammar points in the sentence.

Afrikaans usually follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses. That means the finite verb normally comes in the second position.

If the sentence begins with the subject, you get:

But here the sentence begins with a prepositional phrase:

Because that phrase takes the first position, the verb must come next:

So gebruik ons is not unusual word order in Afrikaans; it is the normal result of putting the contrast phrase first.

Does ons mean we or us here?