Hy sit nou by die venster.

he

Breakdown of Hy sit nou by die venster.

• nou: now
• sit: to sit
• die venster: the window

Questions & Answers about Hy sit nou by die venster.

Why doesn’t this sentence use a form like “is sitting” to show the continuous aspect, as in English?

Afrikaans does not have a separate continuous tense. The simple present (here sit) covers both the English simple present and present progressive. So Hy sit nou … can mean “He sits now” or “He is sitting now.”

Why is the verb sit the same for he, I, you, etc.?

Afrikaans verbs in the present tense do not change form according to person or number. You always use the base form (the infinitive stem without – to) for any subject.

Where and why is the adverb nou placed after sit?

Afrikaans follows a basic V2 (verb-second) word order. Time adverbs like nou typically come immediately after the finite verb. The pattern here is:

1. Subject (Hy)
2. Finite verb (sit)
3. Time adverb (nou)
4. Place phrase (by die venster)

Can I move nou to the front of the sentence?

Yes. If you front nou for emphasis, you still keep the verb in second position:
Nou sit hy by die venster.