Breakdown of Ons stap oor die ou brug om die stadion te bereik.
ons
we
die
the
om
to
stap
to walk
oor
over
die brug
the bridge
die stadion
the stadium
ou
old
bereik
to reach
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Questions & Answers about Ons stap oor die ou brug om die stadion te bereik.
What does ons mean in this sentence?
Ons is the subject pronoun “we.” It’s the same word used for “we” (subject) and “us” (object) in Afrikaans. Since it starts the sentence, it’s capitalized as Ons.
Why is the verb stap used instead of loop or another verb?
In Afrikaans stap specifically means “to walk.” You could also say loop (which can mean “to go,” “to function,” or “to walk”), but stap is the more precise choice for walking on foot.
Example: Ons stap oor die brug (we walk across the bridge) versus Ons loop oor die brug (we go across the bridge).
What does oor mean in stap oor die ou brug?
The preposition oor means “over” or “across.” So stap oor die ou brug literally translates to “walk across the old bridge.”
Why doesn’t ou become oue before brug (die oue brug)?
Normally, attributive adjectives in a definite noun phrase (with die, a demonstrative, or a possessive) get an -e ending. However, single-syllable adjectives that end in a vowel (like ou) do not take that -e. Hence die ou brug, not die oue brug.
What role does om + te bereik play here?
Om … te + verb is the standard Afrikaans infinitive clause for expressing purpose: “in order to ….” So om die stadion te bereik means “in order to reach the stadium.”
Why is the purpose clause om die stadion te bereik placed at the end of the sentence?
Afrikaans typically places a purpose clause (an om … te infinitive) after the main verb and any objects or adverbials. You can front it for emphasis—Om die stadion te bereik, stap ons oor die ou brug—but the default neutral order is at the end.
Why are there two die articles (die ou brug, die stadion)? Does Afrikaans have more than one “the”?
Afrikaans has just one definite article: die (the). It’s used for singular and plural nouns alike. The indefinite article is ’n (a/an).
Does Afrikaans have a continuous tense like English’s “we are walking”?
No, Afrikaans uses the simple present for both “we walk” and “we are walking.” Context or time-markers show whether it’s happening right now: Ons stap oor die brug can mean either “we walk across the bridge” or “we are walking across the bridge.”
Could I put this into the past tense?
Yes. To say “we walked across the old bridge to reach the stadium,” you’d use the perfect past:
Ons het oor die ou brug gestap om die stadion te bereik.
Is there anything special about the verb bereik?
Bereik is a regular verb meaning “to reach.” The be- prefix is common in Afrikaans verbs (similar to many Germanic verbs) but doesn’t change the basic meaning here—it simply forms the verb “bereik” from the root “reik” (to extend or reach).