Hy val flou.

• Hy = he
• val = falls
• flou = faint / unconscious

So word-for-word, it is roughly He falls faint, but in natural English it means He faints or He passes out.

Afrikaans often uses combinations like a verb plus an adjective or adverb-like word where English may prefer one verb.

Here, val literally means fall, and flou means faint. Together, val flou means to faint.

This is a normal idiomatic expression, so it is best learned as a set phrase:

• Hy val flou = He faints
• Sy het flou geval = She fainted

Yes, historically and grammatically it is an adjective meaning faint, weak, or feeble, but in this expression it functions as part of the idiom flou val / val flou.

So even though flou is an adjective, the whole phrase acts like the verb to faint.

You can also see flou in other contexts:

• Ek voel flou = I feel faint
• Die lig is flou = The light is dim/weak

In a simple main clause, Afrikaans normally puts the finite verb in second position. That is why you get:

• Hy val flou.

The subject Hy comes first, and the verb val comes second. The word flou follows after that.

In dictionaries or when talking about the expression in general, you may see flou val, because dictionary forms are often listed that way, similar to an infinitive-like expression. But in a normal sentence:

• Hy val flou.

It is present tense.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• He faints
• He is fainting
• sometimes even He falls unconscious

Afrikaans simple present can cover several meanings that English separates more clearly.

For the past tense, Afrikaans usually uses het + past participle:

• Hy het flou geval. = He fainted.

The verb is val. Its past participle is geval.

So:

• val = fall
• het geval = fell / has fallen

In the idiom:

• Hy het flou geval. = He fainted.

Afrikaans past participles often take ge-, but the exact form depends on the verb. For val, the correct participle is geval.

Yes, but it does not mean exactly the same thing.

• Hy val flou. = He faints / He is passing out.
• Hy is flou. = He is faint / weak / woozy.

So is flou describes a state, while val flou describes the action of losing consciousness.

Sometimes, depending on context, yes. In real usage, val flou can refer to the act of fainting or collapsing, and speakers may use it in situations where someone is in the process of passing out.

But the most basic translation is still:

• He faints
• He passes out

If you specifically want He is about to faint, Afrikaans would usually make that clearer with extra words.

Afrikaans normally uses double negation:

• Hy val nie flou nie. = He does not faint.

The first nie comes after the verb, and the second nie usually comes at the end of the clause.

In a yes/no question, the verb usually comes first:

• Val hy flou? = Is he fainting? / Does he faint? / Is he passing out?

This is very common in Afrikaans: statement and question often differ mainly by word order.

Hy is pronounced roughly like the English word hay, but with an Afrikaans accent and vowel quality.

So:

• Hy = he

Be careful not to confuse it with Dutch pronunciation habits if you know Dutch; Afrikaans hy is usually much closer to hay for English learners.

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

• Hy ≈ hay
• val ≈ vahl or vul with a short open vowel
• flou ≈ something like flow or fl-ow

So the whole sentence sounds roughly like:

hay vahl flow

That is only an approximation, but it is close enough for a beginner.