Ons bewaar die dokument.

We preserve the document.

Breakdown of Ons bewaar die dokument.

• ons: we
• die dokument: the document
• bewaar: to preserve; keep

Questions & Answers about Ons bewaar die dokument.

Why is ons used here? Does it mean we or us?

Ons can mean both we and us in Afrikaans. The function depends on where it appears in the sentence.

• In Ons bewaar die dokument, ons is the subject, so it means we.
• As an object, it would mean us.

Examples:

• Ons bewaar die dokument. = We keep/preserve the document.
• Hulle help ons. = They help us.

So in this sentence, ons definitely means we.

Why is the verb bewaar not changed for ons?

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

Compare English:

• I keep
• he keeps
• we keep

In Afrikaans, the verb usually stays the same:

• Ek bewaar
• Hy bewaar
• Ons bewaar

So bewaar stays bewaar with ons.

What exactly does bewaar mean?