Vat die stapstok!

to take (informal)

Breakdown of Vat die stapstok!

• die stapstok: walking stick; hiking pole

Questions & Answers about Vat die stapstok!

What kind of sentence is Vat die stapstok!?

It is an imperative sentence, meaning a command or instruction.

So Vat die stapstok! is the same type of sentence as English Take the walking stick!

The exclamation mark shows that it may sound direct, urgent, or emphatic.

Why is there no word for you in the sentence?

In Afrikaans, as in English, commands often leave out the subject.

So instead of saying You take the walking stick, Afrikaans simply says:

Vat die stapstok!

That is the normal way to form a direct command. The person being spoken to is understood from the context.

What does vat mean exactly?

Vat usually means take, grab, pick up, or get hold of, depending on the situation.

In this sentence, it is best understood as take.

It is a very common everyday Afrikaans verb, and it can sometimes sound a little more physical or immediate than a more neutral verb like neem.

Can I also say Neem die stapstok!?