Breakdown of Ek sit stil as die onderwyser praat.
ek
I
praat
to speak
sit
to sit
die onderwyser
the teacher
as
when
stil
quietly
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Questions & Answers about Ek sit stil as die onderwyser praat.
How do you translate sit stil, and why isn’t there an “-ly” on stil as in English “sit quietly”?
In Afrikaans most adjectives also function as adverbs without adding an “-ly” ending. So sit stil literally means “sit quietly” or “sit still,” with stil covering both the adjective “quiet” and the adverb “quietly.”
Why do we use die instead of ’n before onderwyser?
die is the definite article “the.” You use it when you and your listener know exactly which teacher you mean. ’n is the indefinite article “a/an,” which you’d use if you’re introducing a teacher in general or if the listener doesn’t yet know which one.
Why is as translated as “when” here, not “if”?
In Afrikaans as can mean both “when” (temporal) and “if” (conditional). Context tells you which. In Ek sit stil as die onderwyser praat it describes a habitual action (“whenever the teacher speaks”), so it’s translated as “when.”
Why does the verb praat stay in second position after as and not go to the end like in German subordinate clauses?
Afrikaans keeps the verb-second (V2) word order even in subordinate clauses introduced by as. That means the finite verb (praat) comes right after the subject (die onderwyser), not at the end.
Why is the simple present tense used for praat? Doesn’t that mean “speaks” instead of “is speaking”?
Afrikaans uses the simple present to cover both English’s present simple and present continuous. So praat can mean “speaks,” “is speaking,” or “speaks regularly.” Here it’s habitual: “when the teacher speaks.”
What’s the difference between sit stil and bly stil?
sit stil literally focuses on the action of sitting still or quietly. bly stil means “remain/stay quiet” and is more general—you could be standing or sitting. In this sentence sit stil emphasizes that you sit without moving or making noise.
Can I flip the clauses to say As die onderwyser praat, sit ek stil?
Yes. You can start with the subordinate clause. Word order still keeps each verb in second position. Adding a comma after that first clause is optional in Afrikaans.
Why is there no comma before as?
In simple Afrikaans sentences commas before conjunctions like as are generally optional and often omitted. You can include one for clarity, but it’s not required.
Can I use onderwyseres instead of onderwyser?
Yes. onderwyser is gender-neutral/common, while onderwyseres specifically means a female teacher. Both are grammatically correct, though onderwyser is more common.