Questions & Answers about Ons beskerm hierdie voorreg.
Why is ons used here, and does it only mean we?
In this sentence, ons means we because it is the subject of the verb:
- Ons = we
- beskerm = protect
- hierdie voorreg = this privilege
A useful thing to know is that ons can also mean us in other contexts, and it can also mean our before a noun.
Examples:
- Ons beskerm hierdie voorreg. = We protect this privilege.
- Hulle sien ons. = They see us.
- Ons huis is groot. = Our house is big.
So ons is a very common word with more than one function, and the sentence structure tells you which meaning it has.
Why is the verb beskerm not changed for ons?
Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject. This is much simpler than English.
So you get:
- Ek beskerm = I protect
- Jy beskerm = you protect
- Hy beskerm = he protects
- Ons beskerm = we protect
- Hulle beskerm = they protect
Notice that English adds -s in he protects, but Afrikaans keeps beskerm the same.
That means Ons beskerm is completely normal and there is no special we form of the verb.
What does hierdie mean exactly, and why is it used here instead of die?