Ek wil een hê.

I want one.

Breakdown of Ek wil een hê.

• ek: I
• hê: to have
• wil: to want
• een: one

Questions & Answers about Ek wil een hê.

What does een mean in Ek wil een hê?

een is the cardinal number one, but here it acts as an indefinite pronoun meaning one (of them). So Ek wil een hê literally means “I want one (of them).”

Why is there no indefinite article ’n before een?

The article ’n (equivalent to “a” or “an”) is used before nouns (e.g. ’n appel = an apple). In Ek wil een hê, een is already functioning as a pronoun (“one”), so you don’t add ’n.

Why is hê at the end of the sentence?

Afrikaans word order places the finite verb (here wil) in second position and moves the infinitive (here hê) to the end. This happens whenever you use a modal or auxiliary plus another verb.

Why does hê have a circumflex (ê), and can I drop it?

The circumflex on hê distinguishes the infinitive “to have” from the pronoun he (“he” in English). It’s essential—dropping it would change the meaning or look like a typo.

Does wil change its form for different subjects?