Sy is lief vir haar troeteldier.

she

Breakdown of Sy is lief vir haar troeteldier.

• wees: to be
• vir: for
• haar: her

Questions & Answers about Sy is lief vir haar troeteldier.

Why does Afrikaans use is lief vir here instead of a single verb meaning love?

Afrikaans often expresses affection with the pattern wees lief vir — literally something like be fond of. So Sy is lief vir haar troeteldier is a very natural way to say this.

There is also another common structure: Sy het haar troeteldier lief. That also means She loves her pet. Both are idiomatic.

What does lief mean in this sentence?

Lief is an adjective. Depending on context, it can mean dear, fond, sweet, or beloved. In the expression lief vir, it means being fond of or loving someone or something.

So here lief is not working alone; it is part of the set expression lief wees vir.

Why is vir used here?

After lief wees, Afrikaans normally uses vir before the person or thing that receives the affection.

So:

• lief vir iemand
• lief vir iets

It is best not to translate vir too literally here. It is just the preposition this expression requires, much like English fond of requires of.