Ons het inligting nodig.

We need information.

Breakdown of Ons het inligting nodig.

• ons: we
• 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”?

Moet means “must” or “have to” (obligation). It’s close but not identical to “need.” For pure requirement, nodig hê or the formal verb benodig is preferred.
Example:
– Ons moet inligting hê. (“We must have information.”)
– Ons het inligting nodig. (“We need information.”)

What’s the difference between nodig hê and benodig?

They are synonyms. Benodig is just a single formal verb (a prefix be- plus nodig) used in writing or formal contexts:
– Informal: Ons het inligting nodig.
– Formal: Ons benodig inligting.

Why is there no article before inligting? Could I say ’n inligting?

Inligting is an uncountable (mass) noun in Afrikaans, like “information” in English. You don’t use ’n or any plural form. If you need to qualify it, you add quantifiers:
– Ons het meer inligting nodig. (“We need more information.”)
– Ons het enige inligting nodig. (“We need any information.”)

How would I turn Ons het inligting nodig into a question?

Invert the finite verb and subject:
Het ons inligting nodig?
(Verb het + subject ons + object inligting + complement nodig.)

How do you say “We needed information” (past tense)?

Ons het inligting nodig gehad.
Literally “we had information needed.” The helper gehad puts hê into the past perfect.

How do you say “We will need information” (future tense)?

Ons sal inligting nodig hê.
You use the future auxiliary sal + object + complement + infinitive hê.