Hy slaap nou laat.

he

Breakdown of Hy slaap nou laat.

• nou: now
• slaap: to sleep
• laat: late

Questions & Answers about Hy slaap nou laat.

Why is nou placed after slaap?

In Afrikaans, adverbs of time (like nou) often follow the verb they modify. While you might see “He now sleeps late” in English, the standard Afrikaans structure is Hy slaap nou laat.

Does nou strictly mean “now,” or can it also convey emphasis?

It usually translates to “now,” but it can also add emphasis or indicate a current situation. In this sentence, nou does both—showing it’s happening at this time and giving the action some immediacy.

Can I leave out nou and just say Hy slaap laat?

Yes, you could say Hy slaap laat, but it wouldn’t explicitly indicate the timing. Using nou draws attention to the fact that this late sleeping is happening at the present time.

What’s the part of speech of laat here?

Laat functions as an adverb describing how he sleeps (i.e., he sleeps “late”). In Afrikaans, it remains in its basic form without needing an additional ending.

How do I pronounce nou and laat in Afrikaans?

• nou: Similar to the English “no,” but slightly shorter and more clipped.
• laat: Like “laat” in “lather,” but without the “th”—a single smooth “ah” sound in the middle.