Hulle bly by hul huis vandag.

They stay at their house today.

Breakdown of Hulle bly by hul huis vandag.

• hulle: they
• vandag: today
• die huis: the house
• bly: to stay
• by: at
• hul: their

Questions & Answers about Hulle bly by hul huis vandag.

Why does the sentence use "Hulle" and "hul"?

In Afrikaans, Hulle is a subject pronoun (meaning "they"), and hul is often used as a possessive pronoun (meaning "their"). In this sentence, Hulle performs the action ("they stay"), while hul shows ownership ("their house").

What's the difference between "by hul huis" and "in hul huis"?

Using by in Afrikaans often translates to "at" in English, indicating a location in a broader sense ("at their house"). If you said in hul huis, it would more specifically mean "inside their house."

Could we use "woon" instead of "bly" here?

While both woon and bly can mean "live" in English, bly has the additional sense of "stay," which is why it’s common in everyday speech for "stay" or "remain." Woon is more specifically used for "to reside."

Why is "vandag" placed at the end?

Adverbs of time like vandag can appear in several positions in Afrikaans sentences, but placing it at the end is quite common and straightforward. It doesn't change the core meaning; it simply emphasizes "today" as an extra detail about the action.

How can I remember the difference between "hul" and "hulle"?

A handy tip is to think of "u" in hul as part of "your" (their/your in a possessive sense) and the extra "le" in hulle hinting at a plural subject ("they"). Over time, with practice, these forms will come naturally.