Breakdown of Behoort u die uitmorsing te dokumenteer?
u
you
die uitmorsing
spillage
dokumenteer
to document
behoort te
ought to
Questions & Answers about Behoort u die uitmorsing te dokumenteer?
Does behoort mean should here? I thought it could also mean belongs to.
Yes. In this sentence, behoort means ought to / should / is supposed to.
Afrikaans behoort can mean two different things depending on the structure:
- behoort te + infinitive = ought to / should
- behoort aan + noun/pronoun = belongs to
- Die boek behoort aan my.
So in Behoort u die uitmorsing te dokumenteer?, the te dokumenteer makes it clear that the meaning is Should you document the spill?
Why is u used instead of jy?
U is the formal or polite word for you in Afrikaans.
A native English speaker can think of the difference like this:
- jy = informal singular you
- u = formal/polite you
So this sentence sounds more formal, polite, or official. That fits well with words like dokumenteer, which also sounds fairly formal.
If you were speaking casually to a friend, you would be more likely to say:
- Behoort jy die uitmorsing te dokumenteer?
Why does the sentence start with ?