Ons gebruik vanjaar rugsteunkrag.

We use backup power this year.

Breakdown of Ons gebruik vanjaar rugsteunkrag.

• ons: we
• gebruik: to use
• die rugsteunkrag: the backup power
• vanjaar: this year

Questions & Answers about Ons gebruik vanjaar rugsteunkrag.

Why is gebruik the same for ons? Shouldn’t the verb change like use / uses in English?

In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change according to the subject in the present tense.

So:

• ek gebruik = I use
• jy gebruik = you use
• ons gebruik = we use
• hulle gebruik = they use

That makes Afrikaans much simpler than English here. In this sentence, gebruik is the normal present-tense form, and it stays the same with ons.

What does ons mean exactly? Is it always we?

Yes, ons usually means we.

It can also mean us in other sentences, depending on its role:

• Ons gebruik rugsteunkrag. = We use backup power.
• Hy help ons. = He helps us.

So ons can be either a subject or an object, just like some English pronouns change form, except Afrikaans uses the same word for both.

Why is vanjaar placed after the verb? Could it go somewhere else?