Breakdown of Ons skryf nou woorde in hierdie boek.
ons
we
nou
now
skryf
to write
in
in
die boek
the book
hierdie
this
die woorde
the words
Questions & Answers about Ons skryf nou woorde in hierdie boek.
Why does the sentence not include is when we say Ons skryf nou (we are writing now)?
In Afrikaans, you don’t need is to form the present continuous tense. Simply Ons skryf nou is enough to mean “We are writing now.” You can also say Ons is besig om te skryf (literally “We are busy writing”) if you want to emphasize the ongoing action, but “Ons is skryf nou” is not correct.
What is the purpose of nou in this sentence?
Nou means “now” in Afrikaans. It indicates that the action of writing is taking place at this very moment.
How do I know that Ons means “we” and not “us”?
Ons is the plural subject pronoun that translates to “we.” When used as an object, it can also mean “us,” but in this sentence, it is in the subject position, indicating that it means “we.” Context clarifies whether it means “we” (subject) or “us” (object).
Is hierdie always used with singular nouns, or can it also indicate plural nouns?
You can use hierdie for both singular and plural. For instance, hierdie boek (this book) or hierdie boeke (these books). In the sentence, hierdie boek is singular, meaning “this book.”
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