Ons vertaal die dokument.

we

Breakdown of Ons vertaal die dokument.

• die dokument: the document
• vertaal: to translate

Questions & Answers about Ons vertaal die dokument.

Why is the subject ons instead of a different word for we?

Ons is the normal Afrikaans word for we. It is used as the subject of the sentence just like we in English.

A useful thing to know is that ons can also mean us, depending on the sentence:

• Ons vertaal die dokument. = We translate the document.
• Hulle help ons. = They help us.

So the function in the sentence tells you whether it means we or us.

Why is the verb vertaal not changed to match ons?

In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change form for different persons the way they do in English.

So you get:

• Ek vertaal = I translate
• Jy vertaal = you translate
• Ons vertaal = we translate
• Hulle vertaal = they translate

This is one of the nice simplifications in Afrikaans. In most present-tense sentences, the verb stays the same.

Does vertaal mean only translate, or can it also mean are translating?