Ek betaal nou vir die kos.

I pay for the food now.

Breakdown of Ek betaal nou vir die kos.

• ek: I
• nou: now
• vir: for
• die kos: the food
• betaal: to pay

Questions & Answers about Ek betaal nou vir die kos.

Why is nou placed after betaal in Ek betaal nou vir die kos?

nou is an adverb of time (now). In Afrikaans main clauses, time adverbs typically follow the finite verb. The basic word order is: Subject (Ek) – Verb (betaal) – Adverb (nou) – Object (vir die kos).

Can I move nou to the beginning or the end of the sentence, and how does that affect emphasis?

Yes.

• Nou betaal ek vir die kos. Fronting nou puts strong emphasis on “now,” like “Now I’m paying for the food.”
• Ek betaal vir die kos nou. Placing nou at the end is more colloquial and slightly informal; the meaning remains “I’m paying for the food now,” but the focus is more neutral.

Why is vir required before die kos? Couldn’t I say Ek betaal die kos?

In Afrikaans, betaal vir means to pay for. Without vir, betaal takes a direct object that you hand over (usually money), for example Ek betaal R50 (I pay 50 rand). To indicate what you’re paying for, you insert vir:
• Ek betaal nou vir die kos = I’m paying for the food.

Why do we use the article die with kos, and can it ever be omitted?

die is the definite article (the). Use it when referring to specific or known food (e.g. a particular meal). If you speak generally, you can omit it:
• Ek betaal nou vir kos = I’m paying for food (in general).
But when you mean “the food” already mentioned or understood, keep die.

How do I express I paid for the food or I will pay for the food in Afrikaans?

Afrikaans uses auxiliary verbs for tense:
• Past (perfect): Ek het (nou) vir die kos betaal = I paid/have paid for the food.
• Future with sal: Ek sal (nou) vir die kos betaal = I will pay for the food.
• Future with gaan: Ek gaan nou vir die kos betaal = I’m going to pay for the food now.

Does Afrikaans have a progressive aspect for “I am paying now,” like English’s continuous tense?

No separate progressive form exists. Ek betaal nou can mean both I pay now and I am paying now. To stress the ongoing nature, you can use:
• Ek is nou besig om vir die kos te betaal = I am now in the process of paying for the food.

How do you pronounce betaal and kos?

• betaal: /bəˈtɑːl/ (buh-TAHL), with stress on the second syllable.
• kos: /kɔs/ (like English “cost” without the final “t”).