Ons stuur die dokument via e-pos.

Questions & Answers about Ons stuur die dokument via e-pos.

Why is it ons stuur and not something like ons stuuren or ons sture?

In Afrikaans, verbs do not change form for different subjects the way they do in English.

So you get:

  • ek stuur = I send
  • jy stuur = you send
  • ons stuur = we send
  • hulle stuur = they send

That means stuur stays the same with ons.

What does ons mean exactly?

Ons means we or sometimes us, depending on the sentence.

In Ons stuur die dokument via e-pos, it is the subject, so it means we.

Examples:

  • Ons lees. = We read.
  • Hy sien ons. = He sees us.

So here, ons is simply we.

Why is die used before dokument?

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

So:

  • die dokument = the document

A useful thing for English speakers: Afrikaans does not have different words for the based on gender. It is just die.

It is also used for both singular and plural:

  • die dokument = the document
  • die dokumente = the documents
Does dokument work just like the English word document?

Yes, it is very similar in meaning. Dokument means document.

The main difference for learners is spelling and pronunciation:

  • Afrikaans: dokument
  • English: document

Afrikaans often spells words more phonetically than English does.

What does via e-pos mean, and is via commonly used?

Via e-pos means via email or by email.

  • via = via / by way of
  • e-pos = email

Yes, via is used in Afrikaans, especially in fairly neutral or slightly formal language. In everyday Afrikaans, many speakers also say:

  • per e-pos = by email
  • sometimes met e-pos, depending on context, though per e-pos is more standard for method

So these are all understandable, but via e-pos is perfectly normal.

Why is it e-pos with a hyphen?

In Afrikaans, e-pos is normally written with a hyphen. It is the standard spelling for email.

So:

  • e-pos = email
  • e-posadres = email address

This is something you mostly just have to learn as standard written form.

Why is there no article before e-pos?

Because e-pos here is being used to show the method or means of sending.

So via e-pos means:

  • by email
  • via email

English does the same thing very often: we say by email, not usually by the email.

If you added die, it would usually sound unnatural in this sentence:

  • via die e-pos is not the normal way to say it here.
Is the word order normal in this sentence?

Yes. This is standard Afrikaans main-clause word order:

  • Ons = subject
  • stuur = verb
  • die dokument = object
  • via e-pos = adverbial phrase showing how

So the pattern is:

Subject + verb + object + extra information

That makes Ons stuur die dokument via e-pos a very normal sentence.

How would I make this sentence negative?

Afrikaans usually uses a double negative with nie ... nie.

So:

  • Ons stuur die dokument via e-pos. = We send the document via email.
  • Ons stuur nie die dokument via e-pos nie. = We do not send the document via email.

That double nie is a very important Afrikaans pattern.

Could I also say Ons stuur die dokument per e-pos?

Yes. That is a very natural alternative.

Compare:

  • Ons stuur die dokument via e-pos.
  • Ons stuur die dokument per e-pos.

Both mean We send the document by email.

If you want the most idiomatic everyday option, many learners will hear per e-pos quite often. But via e-pos is also correct and clear.

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