Hulle wil nie hul plan verander nie, want hulle kan goed kook.

they

Breakdown of Hulle wil nie hul plan verander nie, want hulle kan goed kook.

• nie: not
• hul: their
• wil: to want
• kook: to cook
• want: because
• die plan: the plan
• verander: to change
• kan: to be able to

Questions & Answers about Hulle wil nie hul plan verander nie, want hulle kan goed kook.

Why does this sentence use two nie words when negating: Hulle wil nie hul plan verander nie?

Afrikaans typically uses a double negative structure. The first nie appears after the verb (wil nie), and the second nie appears near the end of the clause. Both are required to form a standard negative sentence in Afrikaans.

What is the difference between hul and hulle?

Hulle is the personal pronoun meaning they or them, while hul is a possessive adjective meaning their. In this sentence, hulle means they, and hul means their.

Why is wil used here instead of wou?

Wil is the present tense form of want or want to, while wou is the past tense. Here, the sentence is indicating a present-time desire (they do not want to change their plan now), so wil is correct.

In the second part, want hulle kan goed kook, why is it structured that way?

The conjunction want means because or since. It introduces the reason for not changing their plan: they have confidence in their cooking skills. Hulle kan goed kook translates to they can cook well or they are good at cooking.

How should I say this sentence if I wanted to use a simpler form of negation?

Afrikaans consistently uses the double negative in standard language, so the simplest correct form remains:
Hulle wil nie hul plan verander nie, want hulle kan goed kook.
A single nie is nonstandard in most formal contexts.