Ons het inligting nodig.

we

Breakdown of Ons het inligting nodig.

• hê: to have
• nodig: necessary
• die inligting: the information

Questions & Answers about Ons het inligting nodig.

Why is nodig placed at the end of the sentence instead of right after het?

In Afrikaans nodig hê (“to need”) splits into three parts in a main clause:

1. The finite verb (het)
2. The object (inligting)
3. The adjective complement (nodig)
   So the fixed order is Subject–Verb–Object–Complement. Putting nodig earlier (e.g. Ons nodig inligting het) breaks that pattern and sounds wrong.

What kind of word is nodig, and how does nodig hê compare to English need?

Nodig is an adjective meaning “needed.” Paired with the verb hê (“to have”), it forms the compound verb nodig hê = “to need.” In English “need” is a single verb (or even a modal), but in Afrikaans you literally say “have needed.”

Why do we use het here instead of the dictionary form hê?

Hê is the infinitive (“to have”). In the present tense it is conjugated as het for ek, jy, hy/sy, ons, julle, hulle. So whenever you talk in present time you write het, not hê.

Can I use moet instead of het nodig hê to express “need”?