Breakdown of Hy sê dat die geskenk sonder ’n kaart onvolledig sou wees.
hy
he
wees
to be
dat
that
sê
to say
’n
a
sou
would
die geskenk
the gift
sonder
without
die kaart
the card
onvolledig
incomplete
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Questions & Answers about Hy sê dat die geskenk sonder ’n kaart onvolledig sou wees.
Why is sê in the present tense even though the gift situation is hypothetical?
We use sê (says) because the reporting verb refers to what he is saying right now. The hypothetical nature of the gift is shown by the conditional auxiliary sou in the subordinate clause (sou wees). In other words, present sê + conditional sou = “says … would be.”
What role does dat play in this sentence, and is it mandatory?
Dat is a conjunction that introduces the subordinate clause (equivalent to that in English). In Afrikaans you normally need dat after verbs like sê, dink, weet, etc., to link to a following clause. Omitting it here would be ungrammatical.
Why do sou and wees come at the end of the subordinate clause?
Afrikaans subordinate clauses introduced by dat follow a verb-final (SOV) word order. The finite auxiliary sou and the infinitive wees form a verb cluster that moves to the clause’s end: … onvolledig sou wees.
What does sou mean, and how is it different from sal?
Sal is the future auxiliary meaning will, used for real future events. Sou is its past form and marks the conditional mood (would). So sou wees translates as would be, not will be.
Why is there an apostrophe in ’n before kaart, and what does ’n represent?
’n is the indefinite article a/an, short for een (one). The apostrophe shows the dropped e. So ’n kaart means a card. It’s always written with an apostrophe and never capitalized mid-sentence.
Why is sonder used here, and does it always mean without?
Sonder is the standard Afrikaans preposition for without. It’s a direct cognate of Dutch zonder. You use it whenever you want to say without something: sonder water (without water), sonder probleme (without problems).
Could I replace die geskenk with ’n geskenk, and how would the meaning change?
Yes. Die geskenk means the gift (definite, a specific gift), while ’n geskenk means a gift (indefinite, any gift). Changing die to ’n makes the statement more general.
What does onvolledig mean, and how is it formed?
Onvolledig means incomplete. It’s formed by the negating prefix on- (like English in-/im-) + volledig (complete). Many Afrikaans adjectives form their opposites this way: onduidelik (unclear), ongelukkig (unhappy).
How would the sentence change if he had said this in the past?
You would switch sê to its perfect form het gesê. The rest stays the same unless you backshift further. For example:
Hy het gesê dat die geskenk sonder ’n kaart onvolledig sou wees.