Ons rugsteun die dokument behoorlik.

We back up the document properly.

Breakdown of Ons rugsteun die dokument behoorlik.

• ons: we
• die dokument: the document
• rugsteun: to back up
• behoorlik: properly

Questions & Answers about Ons rugsteun die dokument behoorlik.

What does ons mean here?

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

A useful thing to know is that ons can also mean us in other contexts:

• Ons rugsteun die dokument. = We back up the document.
• Hulle help ons. = They help us.

So the meaning depends on its role in the sentence.

Why is the verb just rugsteun? Shouldn’t it change for we?

In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change form for different subjects in the present tense.

So you get:

• Ek rugsteun = I back up
• Jy rugsteun = you back up
• Ons rugsteun = we back up
• Hulle rugsteun = they back up

This is much simpler than English, where you have a change like I back up but he backs up.

What exactly does rugsteun mean in this sentence?