Hulle sê dat die werk moeilik is.

they

Breakdown of Hulle sê dat die werk moeilik is.

• wees: to be
• die werk: the work
• dat: that

Questions & Answers about Hulle sê dat die werk moeilik is.

Why does Afrikaans use sê instead of the Dutch zeg?

sê is the Afrikaans verb meaning to say; zeg is its Dutch counterpart. Although the two languages share roots, Afrikaans replaced many Dutch forms. When you want to express “say” in Afrikaans, always use sê.

What’s the difference between sê and vertel?

• sê: to say, simply utter words
• vertel: to tell, as in telling a story or providing detailed information
  Use sê when you want to quote someone or state what was said, and use vertel when you mean “to tell someone something” or to narrate.

What is the function of dat in this sentence?

dat is a subordinating conjunction (the Afrikaans equivalent of the English word “that”) linking the main clause (Hulle sê) with the subordinate clause (die werk moeilik is).

Can dat be dropped in Afrikaans?

Yes. In informal spoken Afrikaans it’s common to omit dat:
Hulle sê die werk moeilik is.
In formal writing, including dat helps avoid ambiguity.

Why is the verb is at the end of the subordinate clause?