Ons besluit of selfberging nodig is al dan nie.

we

Breakdown of Ons besluit of selfberging nodig is al dan nie.

• wees: to be
• nodig: necessary
• besluit: to decide

Questions & Answers about Ons besluit of selfberging nodig is al dan nie.

What does of mean here? I thought of meant or.

In this sentence, of means whether, not or.

• Ons besluit of selfberging nodig is al dan nie. = We decide whether self-storage is necessary or not.

Afrikaans of can be used to introduce an indirect yes/no question, just like whether in English.

Compare:

• Tee of koffie? = Tea or coffee?
• Ek weet nie of hy kom nie. = I don't know whether he is coming.

So here, of starts the clause whether self-storage is necessary.

Why is it nodig is and not is nodig?

Because of introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses, the finite verb usually goes to the end.

Main clause word order:

• Selfberging is nodig. = Self-storage is necessary.

Subordinate clause after of:

• ... of selfberging nodig is ...

So the normal is moves to the end of that clause.

This is a very common Afrikaans pattern:

• Ek weet dat hy moeg is.
• Ons vra of dit reg is.