Breakdown of Hulle praat oor die stryd.
hulle
they
oor
about
praat
to talk
die stryd
the struggle or conflict
Questions & Answers about Hulle praat oor die stryd.
What does hulle mean here, and is it always they?
Here hulle means they.
Afrikaans hulle can also mean them or their, depending on context, because Afrikaans does not change the form the way English does:
- Hulle praat = They speak / are talking
- Ek sien hulle = I see them
- hulle boek = their book
So in this sentence, the verb position makes it clear that hulle is the subject: They are the ones talking.
Why is it praat and not something like praat hulle or another verb form?
Praat is the basic verb form meaning speak or talk.
In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change form depending on the subject in the present tense. So you get:
- Ek praat = I speak
- Jy praat = you speak
- Hy praat = he speaks
- Hulle praat = they speak
That is simpler than English, where we say I speak but he speaks.
The order Hulle praat is normal main-clause word order: subject + verb.
Does praat mean speak or ?