Ek wou eintlik vroeg vertrek, maar my handsak was nie daar nie en ek kon dit nêrens vind nie.

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Breakdown of Ek wou eintlik vroeg vertrek, maar my handsak was nie daar nie en ek kon dit nêrens vind nie.

• wees: to be
• my: my
• nie: not

Questions & Answers about Ek wou eintlik vroeg vertrek, maar my handsak was nie daar nie en ek kon dit nêrens vind nie.

Why is wou used instead of wil?

Wou is the past form normally used for wil (to want).

• Ek wil vroeg vertrek = I want to leave early
• Ek wou vroeg vertrek = I wanted / intended to leave early

In this sentence, wou shows that the wanting or intention was in the past.

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What does eintlik mean here?

Eintlik usually means actually, really, or in fact.

So Ek wou eintlik vroeg vertrek means something like:

• I actually wanted to leave early
• I had really intended to leave early

It adds a nuance of that was the original plan or intention.

A useful warning: eintlik does not mean eventually.
For eventually, Afrikaans usually uses uiteindelik.

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Why is it vroeg vertrek and not vertrek vroeg?