Breakdown of Skielik besluit die onderwyser om die klas na die museum te neem.
na
to
om
to
neem
to take
die onderwyser
the teacher
skielik
suddenly
besluit
to decide
die klas
the class
die museum
the museum
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Questions & Answers about Skielik besluit die onderwyser om die klas na die museum te neem.
What does skielik mean in this sentence, and what part of speech is it?
skielik is an adverb meaning suddenly. It modifies the verb besluit to indicate that the teacher’s decision happens abruptly.
Why is besluit followed by both om and te before the verb neem?
In Afrikaans, to express “to decide to do something,” you use besluit om + te + infinitive.
- om introduces the infinitive clause
- te marks the following verb (here neem) as an infinitive
Together they correspond to English “decide to take.”
How does the word order work, especially with Skielik besluit die onderwyser…?
Afrikaans main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule:
- The first element can be an adverb, time phrase, object, etc. (here Skielik)
- The finite verb (besluit) must be second
- The subject (die onderwyser) follows the verb
Everything else comes after: om die klas na die museum te neem.
What does na mean here, and when should I use it?
na in Afrikaans means to or toward when indicating direction or destination. Unlike Dutch (naar), Afrikaans always uses na for both physical direction (“go to the museum”) and, less commonly, time relations (“after”).
Why are there definite articles die before onderwyser and klas?
Afrikaans uses die for “the,” just like English. You include it when referring to a specific teacher or a specific class.
- die onderwyser = “the teacher”
- die klas = “the class”
Could we place skielik in a different position, and would that change the emphasis?
Yes. For example:
- Die onderwyser besluit skielik om…
Here skielik more directly describes hoe the teacher decides (“the teacher decides suddenly”). - Skielik besluit die onderwyser om…
Here the suddenness sets the scene before mentioning who and what. Both are correct, but the nuance shifts slightly.
Why isn’t there a comma after skielik?
In Afrikaans, you generally don’t separate a fronted adverbial from the verb with a comma. Commas are reserved for clauses, lists, or to avoid ambiguity, not simply after an introductory adverb.
How would you express this sentence in the past tense?
Insert the auxiliary het before besluit, keeping besluit unchanged:
Skielik het die onderwyser besluit om die klas na die museum te neem.
This reads as “Suddenly, the teacher decided to take the class to the museum.”