Nou luister hulle.

Now they listen.

Breakdown of Nou luister hulle.

• nou: now
• hulle: they
• luister: to listen

Questions & Answers about Nou luister hulle.

Why is hulle at the end of the sentence after luister?

In Afrikaans, the pronoun often comes after the verb in a simple statement. So placing hulle (meaning they) at the end is natural word order: Nou luister hulle (literally, Now listen they).

Is there any difference between Nou and Nou toe for saying "Now" in Afrikaans?

Nou is simply now. Sometimes people say nou toe (more casually) to mean something like come on now or well, come on, especially to prompt someone to do something. In your sentence, nou alone is enough to indicate now.

Can I move nou to a different place in the sentence, like Hulle luister nou?

Yes, you can say Hulle luister nou. It’s also correct Afrikaans. The meaning stays essentially the same, though Nou luister hulle can sound slightly more emphatic or urgent, like Now they’re listening.

What tense is luister in, and do I need to change it for present or future tenses?

Luister is the present tense form meaning listen. To form the future tense, you’d typically use sal plus the infinitive: Hulle sal luister (They will listen). For past tense, you’d use het… geluister: Hulle het geluister (They listened).

How should I pronounce Nou luister hulle like a native speaker?

• Nou: Sounds like the English word now, but with a slightly drawn-out vowel.
• Luister: Pronounce the l gently, and the ui sound somewhat like the ay in pay, but more rounded.
• Hulle: h is soft, and the u is similar to the English book sound.
Smoothly connect these sounds, keeping a natural rhythm: Nou-luister-hulle.