Ons wag vir die vertrek.

We wait for the departure.

Breakdown of Ons wag vir die vertrek.

• ons: we
• wag: to wait
• vir: for
• die vertrek: the departure

Questions & Answers about Ons wag vir die vertrek.

Why do we use the preposition vir after wag here? I thought in Dutch you say wachten op.

In Afrikaans, the verb wag (“to wait”) always takes the preposition vir (“for”). So whereas Dutch uses wachten op, Afrikaans uses wag vir. You say wag vir iemand/iets to mean “wait for someone/something.”

How can I tell if vertrek is a noun here (“departure”) or a verb (“to leave”)?

Both the verb vertrek (“to leave”) and the noun vertrek (“departure”) share the same spelling. In this sentence it’s a noun because it’s preceded by the definite article die (“the”). If it were the verb, you’d see it conjugated (e.g. jy vertrek “you leave”) and no article.

Why is the present tense wag used here for an ongoing action? Is there a continuous aspect in Afrikaans like English “am waiting”?

Afrikaans does not have a separate continuous tense. You use the simple present (e.g. ons wag) for both habitual actions (“we wait”) and ongoing actions (“we are waiting”). Context tells you which meaning applies.

How would I say “We waited for the departure”? How do you form the past tense?

You use the perfect construction with het + past participle of wag. That gives:
Ons het vir die vertrek gewag
(“We waited” / “We have waited for the departure”). There’s no separate simple past like in English.

What’s the difference between die vertrek and ’n vertrek?

die vertrek means “the departure” (definite), while ’n vertrek means “a departure” (indefinite). So Ons wag vir die vertrek refers to a specific departure, whereas Ons wag vir ’n vertrek would mean “we’re waiting for some departure” (and is unusual unless you really don’t know which departure you’ll get).

How do you pronounce Ons wag vir die vertrek?

A rough phonetic guide:
• Ons [ɔns]
• wag [vɑx] (“v” as in “vet,” “g” a guttural fricative like the “ch” in German “Bach”)
• vir [fər]
• die [di]
• vertrek [fərˈtrɛk] (stress on trek, with the same “g/kk” sound as in wag)

How do I turn Ons wag vir die vertrek into a question (“Are we waiting for the departure?”)?

Invert the subject and verb:
Wag ons vir die vertrek?
Note there’s no do-support in Afrikaans.

How would I say “We have to wait for the departure” or “We must wait for the departure”?

Use the modal moet (“must”) before the main verb, placing wag at the end:
Ons moet vir die vertrek wag.
This literally means “We must for the departure wait.”

How would I say “We’re waiting for our departure”?

Use the possessive pronoun ons before the noun:
Ons wag vir ons vertrek.
Context tells you which ons is the subject and which marks possession. To be extra clear you can say Ons wag vir ons eie vertrek (“we’re waiting for our own departure”).

Can I drop the subject ons and just say Wag vir die vertrek?

Yes. Omitting the subject is common in informal speech or on signs. Wag vir die vertrek works like an instruction or heading: “Wait for the departure.”