Die etiket sê of ons die plastiek kan herwin.

The label says whether we can recycle the plastic.

Breakdown of Die etiket sê of ons die plastiek kan herwin.

• ons: we
• kan: can
• sê: to say
• of: whether

Questions & Answers about Die etiket sê of ons die plastiek kan herwin.

What does of mean here? Is it the same as English of?

No. In this sentence, of means whether / if, not English of.

So:

• Die etiket sê of ... = The label says whether ...

This is a very common point of confusion for English speakers, because the Afrikaans word of often means:

• or in some contexts
• whether / if in sentences like this

Here it introduces an indirect yes/no question: whether we can recycle the plastic.

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Why is the word order of ons die plastiek kan herwin and not of kan ons die plastiek herwin?

Because after of introducing a subordinate clause, Afrikaans uses subordinate-clause word order.

That means the finite verb is pushed toward the end:

• main clause: Ons kan die plastiek herwin.
• subordinate clause: ... of ons die plastiek kan herwin.

So:

• ons = subject
• die plastiek = object
• kan = modal verb
• herwin = main verb at the end

This is similar to Dutch and German-style word order, and it is one of the most important grammar patterns in Afrikaans.

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Why are there two verbs at the end: kan herwin?