Sy trek haar nuwe jas aan voordat sy skool toe gaan.

She puts on her new coat before she goes to school.

Breakdown of Sy trek haar nuwe jas aan voordat sy skool toe gaan.

• sy: she
• nuwe: new
• voordat: before
• gaan: to go

Questions & Answers about Sy trek haar nuwe jas aan voordat sy skool toe gaan.

Why is trek ... aan split up in Sy trek haar nuwe jas aan?

Because aantrek is a separable verb in Afrikaans when it means to put on / to get dressed.

• The full verb is aantrek
• In a normal main clause, it often splits into:
  • trek in the usual verb position
  • aan at the end of the clause

So:

• Sy trek haar jas aan = She puts on her coat

This is very similar to separable verbs in Dutch and somewhat like phrasal verbs in English, though the grammar is different.

Compare:

• Ek trek my skoene aan. = I put on my shoes.
• Hy trek vinnig aan. = He gets dressed quickly.

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Why does aan go at the very end of the first clause?