Ek gaan per bus na die dorp toe.

I go to town by bus.

Breakdown of Ek gaan per bus na die dorp toe.

• ek: I
• na: to
• die dorp: the town
• gaan: to go
• die bus: the bus
• per: by

Questions & Answers about Ek gaan per bus na die dorp toe.

What does per mean in this sentence?

per indicates the means or mode of transport—equivalent to English by when you talk about how you travel. You’ll see it with various vehicles: per trein, per vliegtuig, per motorfiets.

Why do we use both na and toe here? Wouldn’t one word be enough to say “to”?

In Afrikaans, na is the preposition meaning “to,” and toe is a directional particle that emphasizes movement toward the destination. Together they form the standard pattern na + noun + toe (e.g. na die werk toe, na die winkel toe). Omitting toe can make the phrase feel incomplete or change the sense.

Why is there the definite article die before dorp, when in English we often say “go to town” without the?

Afrikaans typically uses the definite article with place nouns after prepositions. So you say na die dorp toe, by die huis, in die skool, even though English idioms like “go to town” or “go to school” drop the.

Does Ek gaan per bus na die dorp toe express the future (“I will go by bus…”) or the present (“I’m going by bus…”)?

It can mean both, depending on context. Afrikaans uses gaan + infinitive for the near future (I will go…), but since gaan literally means “to go,” the same form also describes present action (I’m going…). Adding a time adverb clarifies: Ek gaan nou per bus na die dorp toe clearly means “I’m going now by bus…”

Why is per bus used here? Couldn’t we say met die bus?

Yes—met die bus is just as natural in everyday conversation: Ek gaan met die bus na die dorp toe. The per + noun construction is slightly more formal or bookish but perfectly correct.

Can I move per bus to the front of the sentence? If so, what happens to gaan?

Absolutely. You can say Per bus gaan ek na die dorp toe. Afrikaans main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (gaan) must occupy the second position. When you front an adverbial like per bus, the subject follows the verb.