Questions & Answers about Ons onderhandel met die verkoper.
Why is ons used here, and does it always mean we?
Yes, ons means we in this sentence.
Afrikaans ons can also mean us, depending on its role in the sentence:
- Ons onderhandel met die verkoper. = We are negotiating with the seller.
- Die verkoper help ons. = The seller helps us.
So ons can be either a subject pronoun (we) or an object pronoun (us). The position in the sentence tells you which meaning it has.
Why is there no separate word for are in this sentence?
Afrikaans often does not use a separate present continuous form the way English does.
In English, you say:
- We negotiate
- We are negotiating
In Afrikaans, Ons onderhandel can cover both ideas, depending on context. Very often, the simple present is enough.
If you want to make the ongoing action extra clear, Afrikaans can use a progressive construction, for example:
- Ons is besig om te onderhandel met die verkoper. = We are busy negotiating with the seller.
But in normal everyday usage, Ons onderhandel met die verkoper is perfectly natural.
Does onderhandel change for different subjects, like English verbs do?