Questions & Answers about Ons wag 'n kort tyd.
Why is there an apostrophe in 'n?
In Afrikaans, 'n is the indefinite article, similar to "a" or "an" in English. The apostrophe indicates that the first letter ("e") is dropped, so you'd see 'n instead of een.
What does Ons mean?
Ons means "we" or "us" in Afrikaans. It is used as a subject pronoun when talking about a group that includes the speaker.
How is wag used here?
Wag means "wait." It's in the present tense here, indicating a current action or a general statement of fact, such as "We are waiting."
Why do we say 'n kort tyd instead of just kort tyd?
'n is the indefinite article before kort tyd. It translates loosely to "a short time." If you omit 'n, you would lose the nuance of an unspecified short time, and kort tyd on its own might imply a more general or descriptive statement rather than referring to a span of time being waited.
Is tyd always used to mean "time," or can it have other translations?
Tyd generally means "time" in Afrikaans. It can be adapted to different contexts, but it consistently refers to the concept of time. When used with adjectives like kort, you can understand it as "a short period (of time)."
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Afrikaans grammar?”
Afrikaans grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning AfrikaansMaster Afrikaans — from Ons wag 'n kort tyd to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions