Ons stapel verseëlde verhuisdose op.

we

Breakdown of Ons stapel verseëlde verhuisdose op.

• die verhuisdoos: moving box
• verseël: to seal
• opstapel: to stack up

Questions & Answers about Ons stapel verseëlde verhuisdose op.

Why is op at the end of the sentence?

Because the verb here is a separable verb: opstapel.

In a main clause, Afrikaans often splits separable verbs:

• Ons stapel ... op.

So stapel goes in the normal verb position, and op moves to the end.

This is similar to:

• Ek staan vroeg op. = I get up early.
• Hulle tel die kinders op. = They pick up the children.

If you saw the infinitive, it would normally be written as one word:

• om op te stapel
• dictionary form: opstapel

What does ons mean, and is it always capitalized?

Ons means we here.

It is only capitalized because it is the first word of the sentence. In the middle of a sentence, it would normally be ons.

Afrikaans ons can also mean our in other contexts:

• Ons huis = our house

So the word can function as:

• a subject pronoun: we
• a possessive determiner: our

In this sentence, it is clearly the subject: we.

Why is the verb stapel the same for ons? Shouldn’t it change like in English?