Ons verleng die uitleentydperk.

we

Breakdown of Ons verleng die uitleentydperk.

• die uitleentydperk: loan period
• verleng: to renew; extend

Questions & Answers about Ons verleng die uitleentydperk.

What does each word in Ons verleng die uitleentydperk mean?

Word by word:

• Ons = we
• verleng = extend / lengthen
• die = the
• uitleentydperk = loan period, borrowing period, or lending period depending on context

So the structure is very straightforward: We extend the loan period.

Why is it ons and not a different word for we?

In Afrikaans, ons is the normal word for we.

It can also mean us in other sentences, so like English you, it can cover more than one grammatical role depending on context.

Examples:

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

So in your sentence, ons is the subject, meaning we.

Why doesn’t verleng change for we? Shouldn’t the verb have a special ending?

No. One of the nice things about Afrikaans is that verbs usually do not change according to the subject in the present tense.

Compare:

• Ek verleng = I extend
• Jy verleng = you extend
• Hy verleng = he extends
• Ons verleng = we extend

So unlike English, where you get extend vs extends, Afrikaans keeps verleng the same.