Ons kies die lêerformaat na gelang van die dokument.

we

Breakdown of Ons kies die lêerformaat na gelang van die dokument.

• kies: to choose
• die dokument: the document
• na gelang van ...: depending on; according to

Questions & Answers about Ons kies die lêerformaat na gelang van die dokument.

Why does the sentence start with ons?

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

A useful thing to know is that ons can mean both we and us, depending on its role in the sentence:

• Ons kies ... = We choose ...
• Hulle sien ons. = They see us.

In your sentence, it comes before the verb kies, so it is clearly the subject: we choose.

Why is kies in the second position?

Afrikaans main clauses usually follow a subject–verb–object pattern, just like English in a simple statement.

So here you get:

• Ons = subject
• kies = verb
• die lêerformaat = object
• na gelang van die dokument = prepositional phrase

That makes the sentence structure very natural for Afrikaans: Ons kies die lêerformaat na gelang van die dokument.

If another element were placed first for emphasis, the verb would still stay in second position, which is an important Afrikaans rule.

Why is die used twice?