Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: Ons vertrek Donderdag.

Afrikaans often uses the present tense for planned or scheduled future events. Because Donderdag already tells you the time, Ons vertrek Donderdag naturally means We leave on Thursday or We’re leaving Thursday.

If you want to make the future more explicit, you can say:

Ons sal Donderdag vertrek.

Why is there no word for on before Donderdag?

With days of the week, Afrikaans often leaves out the preposition when the day is used as a time expression. So Donderdag by itself means on Thursday here.

A version with op can occur, but the version without op is very natural for a specific planned day.

What tense is vertrek here?

Grammatically, vertrek is in the present tense. But in Afrikaans, the present tense is very commonly used with a future meaning when the time is clear from context.

So this is present in form, but future in meaning.

Does vertrek change with different subjects, like English leave/leaves?