Hoekom praat jy so sag?

you

Breakdown of Hoekom praat jy so sag?

• praat: to speak
• sag: softly
• hoekom: why

Questions & Answers about Hoekom praat jy so sag?

What does hoekom mean, and is it the usual way to say why?

Yes. Hoekom means why and is a very common everyday word.

You may also see waarom, which also means why. In many situations they are interchangeable, but hoekom often sounds a bit more conversational in everyday speech.

• Hoekom praat jy so sag? = Why are you speaking so softly?
• Waarom praat jy so sag? = Why are you speaking so softly?

Both are correct.

Why is the word order Hoekom praat jy instead of Hoekom jy praat?

Afrikaans follows the verb-second pattern in main clauses. That means the finite verb usually comes early in the sentence, even after a question word.

So in:

• Hoekom praat jy so sag?

the order is:

• Hoekom = question word
• praat = finite verb
• jy = subject

This is normal Afrikaans word order.

Compare:

• Statement: Jy praat so sag. = You speak so softly.
• Question: Hoekom praat jy so sag? = Why do you speak so softly?

What exactly does praat mean here?