Ons gebruik die gereedskap wat die koopman saambring.

We use the tools that the merchant brings along.

Breakdown of Ons gebruik die gereedskap wat die koopman saambring.

• ons: we
• die: the
• gebruik: to use
• die koopman: the merchant
• die gereedskap: the tools
• saambring: to bring along

Questions & Answers about Ons gebruik die gereedskap wat die koopman saambring.

Why is wat used in this sentence instead of something like dat?

In Afrikaans, wat is typically used as a relative pronoun referring back to a noun that isn’t a person (in this case, die gereedskap). Dat often works as a conjunction meaning “that,” but in relative clauses referring to objects or things, wat is the usual choice.

Is the verb saambring a single concept, or is it just bring plus another word?

Saambring is a single verb that combines saam (“along/together”) and bring (“to bring”). It emphasizes the act of bringing something along. In English, this might be expressed simply as “bring along.”

Why is die gereedskap used without an article change in the relative clause?

Afrikaans doesn’t change or drop the article when referencing a known object within a relative clause. Once die gereedskap is introduced, the same word is understood within the relative clause, so the article die remains consistent.

Does ons only mean “we,” or can it also mean “us”?

Ons can mean both “we” (plural subject) and “us” (plural object) in Afrikaans, depending on where it appears in the sentence. In this example, ons is the subject performing the action (using the tools).

Why is the object of the sentence appearing before the relative pronoun in Afrikaans word order?

Afrikaans often places the direct object right after the main verb or phrase—here, Ons gebruik die gereedskap—and then the relative pronoun wat introduces the subordinate clause. The structure is similar to English, but you’ll notice Afrikaans tends to keep elements that belong together (subject, verb, object) closely aligned before adding the relative clause.