Ons gaan via die stad.

Ons means we in this sentence.

It is also the normal Afrikaans word for us, so Afrikaans often uses the same form where English distinguishes between we and us. The role is understood from the sentence structure.

Examples:

• Ons gaan = We go / We are going
• Hy sien ons = He sees us

Gaan literally means go, and in this sentence it keeps that basic meaning.

But in Afrikaans, gaan is also often used as a future marker, similar to going to in English.

For example:

• Ons gaan via die stad can mean We go via the city or We are going via the city, depending on context.
• Ons gaan môre vertrek = We are going to leave tomorrow

So gaan can be:

1. a full verb meaning go
2. a helper for future meaning

Here, it is easiest to read it as a normal verb of movement.

No. Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject the way English verbs do.

So you get:

• Ek gaan = I go / am going
• Jy gaan = you go / are going
• Ons gaan = we go / are going
• Hulle gaan = they go / are going

This is one of the simpler parts of Afrikaans grammar for English speakers.

Yes, via in Afrikaans works very much like English via. It means something like by way of, through, or using the route through.

In Ons gaan via die stad, it means the route goes by way of the city.

It is a perfectly understandable word, though in some everyday situations speakers might also use other wording depending on the exact meaning they want.

Yes, sometimes, but the nuance can be slightly different.

• via die stad emphasizes the route: by way of the city
• deur die stad more directly means through the city

In many situations they may overlap, but they are not always identical.

For example:

• Ons gaan via die stad = We’re taking the route by way of the city.
• Ons gaan deur die stad = We’re going through the city.

If you specifically mean movement physically passing through the city, deur is often very natural. If you mean the city is one point on the route, via works well.

Die is the definite article in Afrikaans, meaning the.

So:

• die stad = the city

A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans uses die for singular and plural definite nouns:

• die stad = the city
• die stede = the cities

Unlike some other languages, Afrikaans does not have different definite articles for grammatical gender.

Normally, no. If you mean via the city, you need die.

So the natural form is:

• via die stad

Leaving out the article would usually sound incomplete or unnatural in standard Afrikaans, unless you were using a special fixed expression or note-like style, which is not the case here.

No, the word order is quite straightforward.

It follows a very common Afrikaans pattern:

Subject + verb + prepositional phrase

So:

• Ons = subject
• gaan = verb
• via die stad = prepositional phrase showing route

This is very similar to English word order:

• We go via the city

Gaan is pronounced roughly like khahn or ghahn, depending on accent and how you hear the Afrikaans g.

A few points:

• The g in Afrikaans is usually much harsher than English g
• The aa is a long vowel, something like the vowel in father for many learners
• It is one syllable: gaan

If you are a beginner, getting the long aa right is usually more important at first than making the g perfect.

Stad is pronounced roughly like staht.

Helpful notes:

• The a is broad, not like the a in English cat
• The final d may sound slightly softer in connected speech, but learners can safely pronounce it clearly as d at first

So a beginner-friendly approximation is:

• stad ≈ staht

Yes, it is grammatical and natural.

That said, whether it sounds fully everyday depends on context. Via is perfectly acceptable, but in very casual speech some speakers might prefer a phrase with deur or another route expression if they want to sound more conversational or more specific.

Still, Ons gaan via die stad is a good, correct sentence and easy to understand.

Usually, yes. Since gaan does not change for person, you can often just swap the subject.

Examples:

• Ek gaan via die stad = I go / am going via the city
• Jy gaan via die stad = You go / are going via the city
• Hy gaan via die stad = He goes / is going via the city
• Hulle gaan via die stad = They go / are going via the city

That is another useful simplification in Afrikaans.