Is dit moontlik om nou te vertrek?

Is it possible to leave now?

Breakdown of Is dit moontlik om nou te vertrek?

• nou: now
• wees: to be
• om: to
• dit: it

Questions & Answers about Is dit moontlik om nou te vertrek?

Why is om used in this sentence?

In Afrikaans, om often appears before the infinitive marker te to indicate purpose or intention. Here, om te vertrek means to depart. It’s similar to using to in English, as in “Is it possible to depart now?”

What does te do here?

Te is the infinitive marker that pairs with om to form om te plus the verb. Te vertrek is the infinitive form of “depart.” So together, om te vertrek basically means “in order to depart.”

How would I say this in a more direct way?

A more direct way might be Kan ons nou vertrek?, meaning Can we leave now? However, Is dit moontlik om nou te vertrek? is more about possibility than direct ability.

Is dit necessary?

Yes, in this construction it typically is. Dit refers to the situation being possible or not. Without dit, the sentence wouldn’t sound complete. For instance, Is moontlik om nou te vertrek? would not be correct.

Can I change the word order, for example: Is dit moontlik nou om te vertrek?