Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Afrikaans grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Hulle stap saam na die dorp.
What does hulle mean in this sentence?
Hulle is the third-person plural subject pronoun in Afrikaans. It translates as they.
What does stap mean, and why isn’t it conjugated?
Stap means to walk. In the present tense, Afrikaans verbs do not change form for person or number, so you use stap for ek stap, jy stap, hulle stap, etc.
What does saam mean, and why is it placed directly after the verb?
Saam means together. It’s an adverb modifying stap, so it normally comes right after the verb (verb-adverb order).
What is the function of na here, and is there a difference between na and naar?
Na is a preposition meaning to (indicating direction or destination). In modern Afrikaans, only na is used; naar is an older Dutch form that isn’t used in standard Afrikaans.
Why is it die dorp instead of just dorp, and how would you say to a town?
Die is the definite article the, so die dorp = the town. If you want to a town, use the indefinite article ’n: Hulle stap saam na ’n dorp.
Why is the word order Hulle stap saam na die dorp and not, for example, Hulle stap na die dorp saam?
Afrikaans follows Subject-Verb-Adverb-Object for sentences like this. Placing saam after stap shows it modifies the walking action. Moving saam to the end sounds unnatural.
How would you change the sentence to past tense?
You add the past-tense marker het and the particle ge- on the verb:
Hulle het saam na die dorp gestap.
Lit. “They have together to the town walked.”
How do you say you all walk together to the town (addressing more than one person)?
Replace hulle with the second-person plural pronoun julle:
Julle stap saam na die dorp.