Breakdown of Na aankoms by die stasie loop ons na die hotel.
ons
we
loop
to walk
na
to
by
at
na
after
die stasie
the station
die hotel
the hotel
die aankoms
the arrival
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Questions & Answers about Na aankoms by die stasie loop ons na die hotel.
What does Na aankoms by die stasie literally mean, and why is aankoms used instead of a verb in this time expression?
It literally means “After arrival at the station.” Afrikaans often uses an adverbial noun phrase for time: na (“after”) + the nominalized verb aankoms (“arrival”) rather than a full subordinate clause.
Why is there no article before aankoms, but there is one before stasie in by die stasie?
In temporal phrases like na aankoms, the noun is generic, so you omit the article. But stasie is a specific place, so it takes the definite article die: by die stasie (“at the station”).
Could I rephrase this using a subordinate clause instead of na aankoms?
Yes. You can say Nadat ons by die stasie aangekom het, loop ons na die hotel. Here nadat introduces a clause with its own subject (ons) and verb phrase (aangekom het).
Why do we use by die stasie (“at the station”) but na die hotel (“to the hotel”)?
by indicates location (“at”). na indicates movement toward a destination (“to”). Hence by die stasie = “at the station,” while na die hotel = “to the hotel.”
Why does loop come before ons in “loop ons na die hotel” instead of “ons loop na die hotel”?
Afrikaans main clauses follow verb-second (V2) order. The initial phrase Na aankoms by die stasie is first, so the finite verb loop must come next, then the subject ons.
What is the difference between loop and gaan in this context? Could we say ons gaan na die hotel?
loop means “walk” (on foot). gaan means “go” in general and can imply any transport or future action. Ons gaan na die hotel is grammatically correct but less specific; ons loop na die hotel makes clear that we’re walking.
Is aankoms singular or plural? It ends in -s, which looks like a plural marker in English.
aankoms is a singular noun meaning “arrival.” In Afrikaans many abstract nouns are formed by adding -s to a verb stem; they remain singular and usually don’t take a separate plural form.