Ons moet die wet volg.

We must follow the law.

Breakdown of Ons moet die wet volg.

• ons: we
• moet: must
• volg: to follow
• die wet: the law

Questions & Answers about Ons moet die wet volg.

Why is the sentence Ons moet die wet volg and not something with a separate word for to before volg?

After a modal verb in Afrikaans, the next verb usually appears as a bare infinitive, with no word for to.

So:

• Ons moet volg = We must follow
• not Ons moet te volg

This is similar to English:

• We must follow
• not We must to follow

So in Ons moet die wet volg, moet is the modal verb, and volg stays in its basic form.

What exactly does moet mean here?

Moet usually means must, have to, or need to, depending on context.

In this sentence, it expresses obligation:

• Ons moet die wet volg = We must follow the law
• It can also feel like We have to follow the law

A useful thing to know is that moet does not change for person or number:

• Ek moet = I must
• Jy moet = you must
• Ons moet = we must
• Hulle moet = they must

So Afrikaans is simpler than English in that way.