Breakdown of Ons wag by die stasie vir die bus.
ons
we
die
the
wag
to wait
vir
for
by
at
die bus
the bus
die stasie
the station
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Questions & Answers about Ons wag by die stasie vir die bus.
What does wag mean, and how do you use it in a sentence?
wag means “to wait.” It’s an intransitive verb, so when you want to say “wait for something,” you always pair it with vir + the thing you’re waiting for (e.g. wag vir die bus, “wait for the bus”).
Why is it wag vir die bus and not wag die bus?
In Afrikaans you need the preposition vir to express “wait for.” Think of wag as a verb that takes vir + object, much like Dutch wachten op. Without vir, the sentence would be ungrammatical.
What does by die stasie mean, and why is by used here?
by means “at” or “by” when talking about location. So by die stasie literally translates as “at the station.” You use by rather than in because in Afrikaans you “wait at” a location, not “wait in” it.
Why is the definite article always die in Afrikaans?
Afrikaans has only one definite article—die—regardless of gender, number, or case. Whether singular (die huis) or plural (die huise), you always use die for “the.”
Does the verb wag change form for different subjects (I wait, he waits, we wait)?
No. In Afrikaans the present-tense verb form stays the same for all persons. You say ek wag, jy wag, hy wag, ons wag, etc.—the verb never adds an ending.
Can I switch the order of the prepositional phrases, saying Ons wag vir die bus by die stasie?
Yes. Adverbial phrases of place and object can be swapped: both Ons wag by die stasie vir die bus and Ons wag vir die bus by die stasie are correct. The emphasis might shift slightly, but the meaning stays the same.
How do you pronounce wag and stasie properly?
- wag: The g is a guttural sound [χ], roughly like the Dutch g, so [vɑχ].
- stasie: Pronounced [ˈsta.si.ə], with the final -ie as a clear [i] vowel: “STAH-see-uh.”
What’s the plural of bus, and how would the sentence look if you waited for multiple buses?
The plural of bus is buse. To say “We wait at the station for the buses,” you’d write:
Ons wag by die stasie vir die buse.