Hy vermy die vyand.

He avoids the enemy.

Breakdown of Hy vermy die vyand.

• hy: he
• vermy: to avoid
• die vyand: enemy

Questions & Answers about Hy vermy die vyand.

Why is hy used here, and does it always mean he?

Yes, hy is the normal Afrikaans subject pronoun for he.

In this sentence:

• Hy = he
• vermy = avoids
• die vyand = the enemy

A useful comparison:

• hy = he
• sy = she / her
• dit = it

So Hy vermy die vyand literally matches English word-for-word: He avoids the enemy.

What does vermy mean, and is it a common verb?

Vermy means avoid.

It is a normal and useful Afrikaans verb. You can use it for:

• avoiding a person: Hy vermy die vyand.
• avoiding danger: Ons vermy gevaar.
• avoiding a topic: Sy vermy die onderwerp.

It is a regular-looking verb in the sense that it does not change much across persons in the present tense.

Why is the verb vermy not changed for he? In English we say he avoids.