Ons wil vrede hê.

Here, ons means we.

A useful extra point: ons can also mean our in other sentences, so learners sometimes pause when they first see it. In Ons wil vrede hê, it is clearly the subject pronoun: we.

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change form much according to the subject.

So:

• Ek wil = I want
• Jy wil = you want
• Ons wil = we want
• Hulle wil = they want

Unlike English, where you get a change like he wants, Afrikaans normally keeps the same form: wil.

This is a very common Afrikaans word-order pattern.

In a main clause, the finite verb comes early, usually in second position. Here that verb is wil. If there is another verb with it, that second verb usually goes to the end of the clause.

So:

• Ons = subject
• wil = finite verb
• vrede = object
• hê = second verb at the end

That is why Afrikaans says:

• Ons wil vrede hê

rather than putting hê directly after wil.

Afrikaans often uses wil ... hê to express wanting to have / wanting / would like something.

So with a noun, the natural pattern is often:

• Ek wil water hê = I want water
• Sy wil hulp hê = She wants help
• Ons wil vrede hê = We want peace

To an English speaker, the hê may feel unnecessary, because English just says want peace. But in Afrikaans, wil ... hê is the normal, idiomatic structure in many cases.

Very often, yes. Learners often find it helpful to think of wil hê as a pattern meaning want or would like, even though the two parts can be separated by other words.

For example:

• Ek wil koffie hê = I want coffee
• Ons wil vrede hê = We want peace

So in this sentence, vrede sits between the two parts:

• wil ... hê

This split is normal.

Because Afrikaans does not use an infinitive marker like English to after modal-type verbs such as wil.

English says:

• We want to have peace

Afrikaans does not insert a separate word for to here. It simply uses the verb hê at the end:

• Ons wil vrede hê

So after wil, you just use the verb itself.

Because vrede is being used in a general, abstract sense: peace as an idea or state.

Afrikaans often leaves out the article with abstract or uncountable nouns when speaking generally, just as English often does:

• peace
• freedom
• justice

So:

• Ons wil vrede hê = We want peace

If you were talking about a specific peace, the article might appear, depending on context, such as die vrede.

The word hê is pronounced roughly like a long eh sound.

The circumflex on ê helps show the vowel quality and length. For many learners, a practical approximation is something like:

• hê ≈ heh, but held a little longer

You do not pronounce it like English hay.

So the whole sentence is roughly:

• Ons = like ons in English hons without the h
• wil = similar to vul with a short i
• vrede = roughly free-duh / fray-duh depending on accent
• hê = long eh

Exact pronunciation varies by accent, but that is a useful starting point.

Not in this normal sentence pattern.

The natural order is:

• Ons wil vrede hê

not:

• Ons wil hê vrede

When wil and hê work together with an object like vrede, the object normally comes before the final verb.

However, you may also see wil hê next to each other in a different construction, such as:

• Ons wil hê jy moet kom = We want you to come

There, wil hê introduces another clause, so the structure is different.

You would use the usual Afrikaans double-negative pattern:

• Ons wil nie vrede hê nie.

This has:

• first nie after the finite verb phrase area
• second nie at the end of the clause

So:

• Ons wil vrede hê. = We want peace.
• Ons wil nie vrede hê nie. = We do not want peace.

The double nie is one of the most important patterns in Afrikaans.

Yes, it is natural and correct.

It sounds neutral and straightforward. It could be used in everyday speech, writing, politics, religion, or any context where someone is expressing a desire for peace.

A close alternative is:

• Ons soek vrede. = We seek peace.

But Ons wil vrede hê is perfectly normal and directly expresses wanting peace.