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Hy sê dit is gevaarlik om nou buite te loop.

Hy sê dit is gevaarlik om nou buite te loop.
He says it is dangerous to walk outside now.

Breakdown of Hy sê dit is gevaarlik om nou buite te loop.

hy
he
nou
now
wees
to be
loop
to walk
buite
outside
dit
it
sê
to say
om
to
gevaarlik
dangerous
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Questions & Answers about Hy sê dit is gevaarlik om nou buite te loop.

What does Hy sê mean and how is sê conjugated in Afrikaans?

Hy sê means He says. The verb sê is irregular:

  • Present: ek sê, jy sê, hy/sy sê
  • Past: ek het gesê, jy het gesê, hy/sy het gesê So in this sentence Hy sê is simply “He says.”
Why is there no dat before dit is gevaarlik?

In Afrikaans you can omit the conjunction dat after verbs of saying, thinking or believing. Both forms are correct:

  • With dat: Hy sê dat dit is gevaarlik om nou buite te loop.
  • Without dat: Hy sê dit is gevaarlik om nou buite te loop.
    Omitting dat is very common in everyday speech.
What is the function of dit here?
This dit is a dummy or anticipatory subject, just like it in English “It is raining” or “It is dangerous.” It doesn’t refer to anything concrete; it simply occupies the subject slot.
Why is gevaarlik not preceded by an article or another word?

When an adjective follows a form of is (i.e. is used predicatively), it stands alone without an article or ending:

  • Dit is gevaarlik. = It is dangerous. If you wanted an attributive adjective (before a noun), you would add -e, e.g. ‘n gevaarlike situasie (a dangerous situation).
Why do we use om ... te in om nou buite te loop?

Afrikaans forms infinitive clauses with om + (adverbs) + te + verb. This is called the om-infinitive and functions like a noun or clause in English:

  • om nou buite te loop = to walk outside now
    Here it’s the complement of gevaarlik: “it is dangerous to walk outside now.”
Why is nou placed before buite, and could I say om buite nou te loop?

In Afrikaans, time adverbs (e.g. nou) normally precede place adverbs (e.g. buite). This order feels more natural:

  • Preferred: om nou buite te loop
  • Possible but odd: om buite nou te loop
    Swapping them can sound poetic or emphatic, but usually follows Time → Place.
What part of speech is buite here? Do I need a preposition?

In this sentence buite is an adverb meaning outside, so no extra preposition is needed. If you specify a location with a noun you do use buite + noun:

  • buite die huis = outside the house
Can I insert gaan to say om nou buite te gaan loop?

Yes. Adding gaan + infinitive expresses immediate future or intention:

  • om nou buite te gaan loop = to go walk outside now
    It emphasises the action about to happen, but om nou buite te loop alone already means “to walk outside now.”