Questions & Answers about Hulle wil hierdie kos later eet.
Why does the sentence use wil instead of the English equivalent want?
In Afrikaans, wil is commonly used as a modal verb meaning want to (in the sense of desiring to do something). It is directly followed by an infinitive (e.g., eet). This parallels how English might say They want to eat, but in Afrikaans, you simply use wil plus the verb.
Why is the word order Hulle wil hierdie kos later eet and not something like Hulle wil later hierdie kos eet?
Afrikaans can be somewhat flexible with word order, especially for adverbs like later. Both orders may be acceptable:
• Hulle wil hierdie kos later eet puts emphasis on hierdie kos as what they want to eat and later as when they will do it.
• Hulle wil later hierdie kos eet can work too, but sometimes speakers prefer to list the direct object (hierdie kos) before the time adverb (later) for clarity. Many factors—like rhythm, emphasis, or context—can influence word order in Afrikaans.
What is the difference between hierdie kos and just saying die kos?