Ons hoor nie roepe nie, laat staan nog voëlgesang.

We cannot hear calls, let alone birdsong.

Breakdown of Ons hoor nie roepe nie, laat staan nog voëlgesang.

• ons: we
• nie: not
• hoor: to hear
• laat staan nog ...: let alone; still less

Questions & Answers about Ons hoor nie roepe nie, laat staan nog voëlgesang.

Why are there two nies in Ons hoor nie roepe nie?

Afrikaans usually uses double negation.

So:

• Ons hoor roepe = We hear calls
• Ons hoor nie roepe nie = We do not hear calls

A simple way to think of it is:

• the first nie introduces the negation
• the second nie closes it off

This is one of the most noticeable features of Afrikaans grammar, and English speakers often need time to get used to it.

Why does the first nie come before roepe?

In a basic main clause, the first nie usually comes after the finite verb and before the part of the sentence being negated, while the second nie comes near the end of the clause.

Here the structure is:

• Ons = subject
• hoor = finite verb
• nie = first negation marker
• roepe = object
• nie = closing negation marker

So Ons hoor nie roepe nie is the normal Afrikaans pattern for We do not hear calls.

What does roepe mean exactly?

Roepe is the plural of roep, meaning call or cry.

Depending on context, it can suggest things like:

• calls
• cries
• shouts
• calling sounds

In this sentence, it sounds a bit literary or descriptive, referring to sounds being absent in the surroundings.