Hy sê dit is gevaarlik om nou buite te loop.

he

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

• nou: now
• wees: to be
• loop: to walk

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?