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Questions & Answers about Ek sit langs jou.
Why is the verb sit used here instead of something like am sitting?
Afrikaans does not have a separate continuous tense. The simple present tense (in this case sit) covers both ‘I sit’ and ‘I am sitting.’ To indicate a future action, you’d add sal (e.g. Ek sal sit langs jou).
What part of speech is langs, and how should I translate it?
langs is a preposition meaning along, beside, or next to. It remains a separate word when combined with a pronoun: langs jou.
Why is jou used here, and when would I use jý instead?
jou is the second-person singular object pronoun (like ‘you’ when used as an object). jý is the second-person singular subject pronoun (like ‘you’ when doing the action). In Ek sit langs jou, jou is the object of the preposition langs.
How do I form the question “Am I sitting next to you?” in Afrikaans?
For a yes/no question, move the verb to first position: Sit ek langs jou?
How do I make this sentence negative (“I am not sitting next to you”)?
Insert nie around the verb phrase or prepositional phrase: Ek sit nie langs jou nie.
What’s the difference between langs jou and by jou?
langs jou means “next to you” (side by side). by jou means “at your place” or “near you” more generally—e.g. Ek sit by jou could imply “I’m sitting at your house.”
Why does the sentence start with Ek instead of Sit?
In a declarative main clause, Afrikaans follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order. Only in questions does the verb come first.
Can I say Ek sit langs met jou to express “I sit next to you”?
No. You don’t use met after langs. The correct construction is simply sit langs jou. Adding met would be ungrammatical here.
How would I say “I will sit next to you”?
Use the future auxiliary sal, and put the main verb at the end: Ek sal langs jou sit.