What is “to” in Afrikaans?
English “to” does two different jobs. It points the way: “to school”, “to Cape Town”, “come to me”. And it sits before a verb: “to swim”, “to learn”, “I went to buy bread”. It also marks the person who receives something: “give it to me”. Afrikaans has no single word for all of this. It shares the work among several small words, and this lesson teaches them together, with na, pronounced /nɑː/, as the headword.
Na is the preposition of direction: ons gaan na Kaapstad, “we’re going to Cape Town”; ek sal na my vader gaan, “I will go to my father”. Very often Afrikaans closes the phrase with toe, /tu/, after the place: na die see toe, as you met in Lesson 1 (1.14). With everyday places toe is often used alone, and na is left out: huis toe, “home”; skool toe, “to school”; winkel toe, “to the shop” (3.26).
For “to” before a verb, Afrikaans says om … te, and the rest of the verb phrase goes between the two: dit is lekker om te swem, “it’s nice to swim”; hy het dorp toe gegaan om brood te koop, “he went to town to buy bread”.
For “to” before the person who receives, Afrikaans says vir, and in more formal writing aan: gee dit vir my, “give it to me”; ’n brief aan die burgemeester, “a letter to the mayor”. And for “up to, as far as, until” it says tot: van die stasie tot by die kantoor, “from the station to the office”.
Na comes from Dutch naar, “to, towards”. Toe and te are the true relatives of English “to”: Dutch toe and te, German zu, English “to” all go back to the same old word. Be careful: na also means “after” (na die ontbyt, “after breakfast”, 1.25), and toe also means “shut” and “then, when”. The context always decides.
FAQ: How do you say “to” in Afrikaans?
Q: What is “to” in Afrikaans? A: For direction, na /nɑː/, often with toe after the place: na die see toe, “to the sea”; or toe alone: huis toe, “home”.
Q: How do I say “I’m going home”? A: Ek gaan huis toe. Not ✗ ek gaan na huis.
Q: How do I say “to swim”, “to learn”? A: Om te swem, om Afrikaans te leer. The object goes between om and te.
Q: How do I say “give it to me”? A: Gee dit vir my. In formal writing aan: skryf aan die burgemeester.
Q: Does na always mean “to”? A: No. Na before a time or an event means “after”: na die ontbyt, “after breakfast”.
Key Takeaways:
- Na /nɑː/ means “to” for direction: na Kaapstad, na my vader - Toe /tu/ after the place also means “to”: huis toe, skool toe; na … toe wraps round the place: na die see toe, na my toe - “To” before a verb is om … te: dit is lekker om te swem; om brood te koop - “To” a person who receives is vir, formally aan: gee dit vir my; ’n brief aan die burgemeester - Tot means “to, up to, until”: tot by die kantoor, van Maandag tot Vrydag, totsiens
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na /nɑː/ — a long, open “ah”, as in English “father”: na, not “nay”.
toe /tu/ — like English “too”, but short and with the lips well rounded. Oe is always /u/: toe, moet /mut/, goed /χut/.
om /ɔm/ and te /tə/ — om is a short “om”; te is a weak “tuh”, never “tee”.
vir /fər/ — the v is f, the vowel is weak: “fuhr”.
aan /ɑːn/ — the long “ah” of na, with n.
tot /tɔt/ — a short o, as in British “tot”.
Sounds that recur in this lesson:
v /f/ — vergeet /fərˈχɪət/, vertrek /fərˈtrɛk/, vroeg /fruχ/, vader /ˈfɑːdər/, veilig /ˈfəɪləχ/.
w /v/ — swem /svɛm/, wanneer /vaˈnɪər/, wens /vɛns/, onderweg /ˈɔndərvɛχ/.
g /χ/ — gaan /χɑːn/, gegaan /χəˈχɑːn/, gery /χəˈrəɪ/, gou /χœʊ/, oggend /ˈɔχənt/.
y /əɪ/ — ry /rəɪ/, kyk /kəɪk/, geskryf /χəˈskrəɪf/.
uu /yː/ — stuur /styːr/, natuurlik /naˈtyːrlək/, huurlinge /ˈɦyːrləŋə/.
eu /ʏə/ — deur /dʏər/, seun /sʏən/.
ê /ɛː/ and ô /ɔː/ — sê /sɛː/, gesê /χəˈsɛː/, môre /ˈmɔːrə/.
Final d is /t/ and final g is /χ/: brood /brʊət/, Kaapstad /ˈkɑːpstat/, oggend /ˈɔχənt/, dag /daχ/, vroeg /fruχ/.
Stress falls on the first syllable unless the word begins with an unstressed prefix such as ge-, ver- or be-: ˈlughawe, ˈburgemeester, but geˈgaan, verˈgeet, verˈtrek. Totsiens is stressed on the second syllable: tɔtˈsins.
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Duplex Method: line a gives each Afrikaans word with its meaning; line b gives the same words with IPA and grammatical glosses.
6.1a Ek I gaan go huis house toe to
6.1b Ek /ɛk/ I.1SG gaan /χɑːn/ go.PRES huis /ɦœɪs/ house.SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP
6.2a Kom come na to my me toe to
6.2b Kom /kɔm/ come.IMP na /nɑː/ to.PREP my /məɪ/ me.1SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP
6.3a Ons we gaan go na to Kaapstad Cape-Town
6.3b Ons /ɔns/ we.1PL gaan /χɑːn/ go.PRES na /nɑː/ to.PREP Kaapstad /ˈkɑːpstat/ Cape-Town
6.4a Dit it is is lekker nice om for te to swem swim
6.4b Dit /dət/ it.3SG.N is /əs/ be.PRES lekker /ˈlɛkər/ nice om /ɔm/ for.COMP te /tə/ to.INF swem /svɛm/ swim.INF
6.5a Gee give dit it vir to my me
6.5b Gee /χɪə/ give.IMP dit /dət/ it.3SG.N vir /fər/ to.IO my /məɪ/ me.1SG
6.6a Die the kinders children loop walk elke every oggend morning skool school toe to
6.6b Die /di/ the.DEF kinders /ˈkəndərs/ child.PL loop /lʊəp/ walk.PRES elke /ˈɛlkə/ every oggend /ˈɔχənt/ morning.SG skool /skʊəl/ school.SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP
6.7a Ek I het have ’n a brief letter aan to die the burgemeester mayor geskryf written
6.7b Ek /ɛk/ I.1SG het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF ’n /ə/ a.INDEF brief /brif/ letter.SG aan /ɑːn/ to.IO die /di/ the.DEF burgemeester /ˈbœrχəmɪəstər/ burgher-master.SG geskryf /χəˈskrəɪf/ write.PTCP
6.8a Hy he het has dorp town toe to gegaan gone om for brood bread te to koop buy
6.8b Hy /ɦəɪ/ he.3SG het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF dorp /dɔrp/ town.SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP gegaan /χəˈχɑːn/ go.PTCP om /ɔm/ for.COMP brood /brʊət/ bread.SG te /tə/ to.INF koop /kʊəp/ buy.INF
6.9a Môre tomorrow ry ride ons we met with die the trein train na to Johannesburg Johannesburg
6.9b Môre /ˈmɔːrə/ tomorrow ry /rəɪ/ ride.PRES ons /ɔns/ we.1PL met /mɛt/ with die /di/ the.DEF trein /trəɪn/ train.SG na /nɑː/ to.PREP Johannesburg /jʊəˈɦanəsbœrχ/ Johannesburg
6.10a Sy she het has vergeet forgotten om for die the deur door toe shut te to maak make
6.10b Sy /səɪ/ she.3SG het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF vergeet /fərˈχɪət/ forget.PTCP om /ɔm/ for.COMP die /di/ the.DEF deur /dʏər/ door.SG toe /tu/ shut.PTCL te /tə/ to.INF maak /mɑːk/ make.INF
6.11a Ek I stap walk elke every dag day van from die the stasie station tot up-to by at die the kantoor office
6.11b Ek /ɛk/ I.1SG stap /stap/ walk.PRES elke /ˈɛlkə/ every dag /daχ/ day.SG van /fan/ from die /di/ the.DEF stasie /ˈstɑːsi/ station.SG tot /tɔt/ up-to by /bəɪ/ at die /di/ the.DEF kantoor /kanˈtʊər/ office.SG
6.12a Ma Mum het has vir to die the kinders children gesê said dat that hulle they voor before donker dark huis house toe to moet must kom come
6.12b Ma /mɑː/ Mum het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF vir /fər/ to.IO die /di/ the.DEF kinders /ˈkəndərs/ child.PL gesê /χəˈsɛː/ say.PTCP dat /dat/ that.SUBORD hulle /ˈɦœlə/ they.3PL voor /fʊər/ before donker /ˈdɔŋkər/ dark huis /ɦœɪs/ house.SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP moet /mut/ must.AUX.MOD kom /kɔm/ come.INF
6.13a Dit it is is nie not moeilik difficult om for Afrikaans Afrikaans te to leer learn nie not
6.13b Dit /dət/ it.3SG.N is /əs/ be.PRES nie /ni/ not.NEG1 moeilik /ˈmuilək/ difficult om /ɔm/ for.COMP Afrikaans /afriˈkɑːns/ Afrikaans te /tə/ to.INF leer /lɪər/ learn.INF nie /ni/ not.NEG2
6.14a Die the bus bus na to die the lughawe airport vertrek departs elke every halfuur half-hour van from die the stasie station af off
6.14b Die /di/ the.DEF bus /bœs/ bus.SG na /nɑː/ to.PREP die /di/ the.DEF lughawe /ˈlœχɦɑːvə/ air-harbour.SG vertrek /fərˈtrɛk/ depart.PRES elke /ˈɛlkə/ every halfuur /ˈɦalfyːr/ half-hour.SG van /fan/ from die /di/ the.DEF stasie /ˈstɑːsi/ station.SG af /af/ off.POSTP
6.15a Toe when hy he hoor hears dat that sy his ouma grandma siek ill is is het has hy he dadelik at-once na to haar her toe to gery driven
6.15b Toe /tu/ when.SUBORD hy /ɦəɪ/ he.3SG hoor /ɦʊər/ hear.PRES dat /dat/ that.SUBORD sy /səɪ/ his.3SG.POSS ouma /ˈœʊma/ grandma.SG siek /sik/ ill is /əs/ be.PRES het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF hy /ɦəɪ/ he.3SG dadelik /ˈdɑːdələk/ at-once na /nɑː/ to.PREP haar /ɦɑːr/ her.3SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP gery /χəˈrəɪ/ ride.PTCP
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6.1 Ek gaan huis toe. → “I’m going home.”
6.2 Kom na my toe. → “Come to me.”
6.3 Ons gaan na Kaapstad. → “We’re going to Cape Town.”
6.4 Dit is lekker om te swem. → “It’s nice to swim.”
6.5 Gee dit vir my. → “Give it to me.”
6.6 Die kinders loop elke oggend skool toe. → “The children walk to school every morning.”
6.7 Ek het ’n brief aan die burgemeester geskryf. → “I wrote a letter to the mayor.”
6.8 Hy het dorp toe gegaan om brood te koop. → “He went to town to buy bread.”
6.9 Môre ry ons met die trein na Johannesburg. → “Tomorrow we’re taking the train to Johannesburg.”
6.10 Sy het vergeet om die deur toe te maak. → “She forgot to shut the door.”
6.11 Ek stap elke dag van die stasie tot by die kantoor. → “Every day I walk from the station to the office.”
6.12 Ma het vir die kinders gesê dat hulle voor donker huis toe moet kom. → “Mum told the children that they must come home before dark.”
6.13 Dit is nie moeilik om Afrikaans te leer nie. → “It isn’t difficult to learn Afrikaans.”
6.14 Die bus na die lughawe vertrek elke halfuur van die stasie af. → “The bus to the airport leaves from the station every half hour.”
6.15 Toe hy hoor dat sy ouma siek is, het hy dadelik na haar toe gery. → “When he heard that his grandmother was ill, he drove to her at once.”
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6.1 Ek gaan huis toe.
6.2 Kom na my toe.
6.3 Ons gaan na Kaapstad.
6.4 Dit is lekker om te swem.
6.5 Gee dit vir my.
6.6 Die kinders loop elke oggend skool toe.
6.7 Ek het ’n brief aan die burgemeester geskryf.
6.8 Hy het dorp toe gegaan om brood te koop.
6.9 Môre ry ons met die trein na Johannesburg.
6.10 Sy het vergeet om die deur toe te maak.
6.11 Ek stap elke dag van die stasie tot by die kantoor.
6.12 Ma het vir die kinders gesê dat hulle voor donker huis toe moet kom.
6.13 Dit is nie moeilik om Afrikaans te leer nie.
6.14 Die bus na die lughawe vertrek elke halfuur van die stasie af.
6.15 Toe hy hoor dat sy ouma siek is, het hy dadelik na haar toe gery.
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These are the grammar rules for “to” (na) in Afrikaans:
1. One English word, several Afrikaans words
English “to” is shared out in Afrikaans: na and toe for direction, om … te before a verb, vir and aan for the person who receives, tot for “up to, until”. Ask first what “to” is doing in the English sentence, then choose.
2. Na: direction to a place or a person
Na stands before the place or person you are going to, and never changes its form: ons gaan na Kaapstad (6.3), met die trein na Johannesburg (6.9), die bus na die lughawe (6.14), as in die pad na die dorp (1.27). The Bible uses na alone with a person: ek sal na my vader gaan (F.3).
3. Toe after the place
Toe stands after the place and means “to, towards”: huis toe (6.1), skool toe (6.6), dorp toe (6.8). With everyday places such as huis, skool, dorp, winkel, kerk and werk, this is the normal spoken pattern, and the article is usually left out: ek gaan winkel toe, “I’m going to the shop” (3.26). “I’m going home” is always ek gaan huis toe.
4. Na … toe: the circumposition
Na and toe can wrap round the place together: na die see toe (1.14), na die hek toe (6.27), na Durban toe (6.23). With a person, and especially with a pronoun, na … toe is the everyday form: kom na my toe (6.2), na haar toe (6.15), na my suster toe (6.17). Toe cannot stand directly after a pronoun alone: ✗ kom my toe.
5. Waarheen? “Where to?”
To ask where someone is going, Afrikaans says waarheen, from waar, “where”, and heen, “thither”: Waarheen gaan jy so vroeg? (6.16). The two parts can also be split: waar gaan jy heen? Lesson 5 met heen in the psalm: na waters waar rus is, lei Hy my heen.
6. Om … te: “to” before a verb
Before an infinitive, “to” is om … te, and everything that belongs to the verb goes between om and te; the verb stands last: om te swem (6.4), om brood te koop (6.8), om Afrikaans te leer (6.13), om haar met die troue te help (6.18), om onderweg te eet (6.25). Om … te gives a purpose, “in order to” (6.8, 6.25), and it follows adjectives such as lekker and moeilik (6.4, 6.13) and verbs such as vergeet, vra and hou van (6.10, 6.18, 6.20).
A separable verb splits round te: toemaak, “shut”, becomes om die deur toe te maak (6.10); uitkyk, “look out”, becomes om by die venster uit te kyk (6.20).
The om … te phrase usually comes at the end of the sentence, after the past participle: hy het dorp toe gegaan om brood te koop (6.8).
After the helping verbs kan, moet, sal and wil there is no om and no te: hulle moet huis toe kom (6.12), ek sal dit vir haar sê (6.30).
7. Vir: “to” a person who receives
With gee, “give”, and sê, “say, tell”, the person comes after vir: gee dit vir my (6.5), Ma het vir die kinders gesê (6.12), ek sal vir hom sê (F.3), sê vir jou suster (6.29). Vir also means “for”: Ma het vir my toebroodjies gemaak (6.26), jammer vir hom (F.9), as in earlier lessons.
8. Aan: “to” in more formal use
Aan is the more formal word for the receiver, usual with writing and sending: ’n brief aan die burgemeester (6.7), aan jou of aan jou ma (6.22), aan my (6.23). On an envelope or at the head of a letter, Aan … means “To …”.
9. Tot: “to, up to, until”
Tot marks the end point: van Maandag tot Vrydag (5.11), tot by die kantoor, “right up to the office” (6.11), tot in Kaapstad, “all the way to Cape Town” (6.24). Tot by and tot in say where exactly the end point is. In the Bible, hy het tot homself gekom, “he came to himself” (F.1). Totsiens, “goodbye”, is tot + siens, “till seeing” (6.28).
10. Word order: the toe phrase
A place phrase with toe takes the usual place of a place phrase. In the perfect tense it stands before the participle: dorp toe gegaan (6.8), na haar toe gery (6.15). In a subordinate clause it stands before the verbs at the end: dat hulle … huis toe moet kom (6.12).
11. Na and toe have other meanings
Na before a time or an event means “after”: na die ontbyt (1.25). Toe has three lives: “to” after a place (6.1); “shut” (die deur is toe; toemaak, 6.10; toebroodjie, 6.26); and “when, then” in the past: toe hy hoor … (6.15), toe hy nog ver was (F.8).
Common mistakes for English speakers:
Mistake: Translating “home” with na. ✗ Ek gaan na huis. → ✓ Ek gaan huis toe.
Mistake: Leaving out om, or putting the object after te. ✗ Dit is lekker te swem. → ✓ Dit is lekker om te swem. ✗ om te koop brood → ✓ om brood te koop.
Mistake: Using om … te after a helping verb. ✗ Ek wil om te swem. → ✓ Ek wil swem.
Mistake: Using na for the receiver. ✗ Gee dit na my. → ✓ Gee dit vir my.
Mistake: Reading na as “to” when it means “after”. Na die ontbyt is “after breakfast”, not “to breakfast”.
Mistake: Saying te as English “tea”. ✗ /tiː/ → ✓ /tə/.
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Frequency
Na, toe, om, te and vir are among the most frequent words in Afrikaans. You hear huis toe, skool toe and werk toe every day, and om … te in almost every paragraph of written text.
Na and toe in speech and writing
Na alone is usual with names of places, particularly in writing and in news reports: na Kaapstad, na die lughawe. In conversation Afrikaans speakers add toe freely: na Kaapstad toe, na die winkel toe; with everyday places they often drop na and keep only toe. Both are correct; na … toe sounds more spoken, na alone more written.
Afrikaans and Dutch
Dutch has the same words, spelt a little differently: Dutch naar huis, “home”, but Afrikaans huis toe; Dutch om te zwemmen, Afrikaans om te swem. Dutch also says naar hem toe, “to him”, as Afrikaans says na hom toe. The Afrikaans habit of leaving out na before everyday places is one of the things that make it sound different from Dutch.
Totsiens
Totsiens, “goodbye”, is the everyday parting word, formed from tot and siens. Among friends you will also hear tot later, “till later”, and sien jou later, “see you later”.
Travelling between the cities
Long-distance coaches link Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, and from Johannesburg to Cape Town it is more than a thousand kilometres by road, a journey that runs through the night, as Pieter’s does. The Genre Section is a conversation at a bus station, written for this lesson.
Toebroodjie
A sandwich in Afrikaans is a toebroodjie, literally “a little shut bread”: two slices of bread with the filling shut inside. It is a good word to remember toe by.
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Source: Luke 15:17–20, in Die Bybel, the Afrikaans translation of 1933 with the revision of 1953 (Bybelgenootskap van Suid-Afrika). The text follows the 1933/1953 translation (AFR53) on bible.com and agrees word for word with the 1933/1953 text on bibliaonline.com.br.
Context: Lesson 4 read the beginning of the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11–14): the younger son takes his share and spends it in a far country. Here, hungry among the pigs, he comes to himself and turns for home. In four verses Afrikaans says “to” in four different ways: tot homself, na my vader, vir hom sê, and om u seun genoem te word.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a Maar but hy he het has tot to homself himself gekom come en and gesê said
F.1b Maar /mɑːr/ but.CONJ hy /ɦəɪ/ he.3SG het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF tot /tɔt/ to homself /ɦɔmˈsɛlf/ himself.3SG.REFL gekom /χəˈkɔm/ come.PTCP en /ɛn/ and.CONJ gesê /χəˈsɛː/ say.PTCP
F.2a Hoe how baie many huurlinge hirelings van of my my vader father het have oorvloed abundance van of brood bread en and ek I vergaan perish van of honger hunger
F.2b Hoe /ɦu/ how baie /ˈbajə/ many huurlinge /ˈɦyːrləŋə/ hireling.PL van /fan/ of my /məɪ/ my.1SG.POSS vader /ˈfɑːdər/ father.SG het /ɦɛt/ have.PRES oorvloed /ˈʊərflut/ over-flood.SG van /fan/ of brood /brʊət/ bread.SG en /ɛn/ and.CONJ ek /ɛk/ I.1SG vergaan /fərˈχɑːn/ perish.PRES van /fan/ from honger /ˈɦɔŋər/ hunger.SG
F.3a Ek I sal shall opstaan get-up en and na to my my vader father gaan go en and ek I sal shall vir to hom him sê say
F.3b Ek /ɛk/ I.1SG sal /sal/ shall.AUX.FUT opstaan /ˈɔpstɑːn/ up-stand.INF en /ɛn/ and.CONJ na /nɑː/ to.PREP my /məɪ/ my.1SG.POSS vader /ˈfɑːdər/ father.SG gaan /χɑːn/ go.INF en /ɛn/ and.CONJ ek /ɛk/ I.1SG sal /sal/ shall.AUX.FUT vir /fər/ to.IO hom /ɦɔm/ him.3SG sê /sɛː/ say.INF
F.4a Vader father ek I het have gesondig sinned teen against die the hemel heaven en and voor before u you
F.4b Vader /ˈfɑːdər/ father.VOC ek /ɛk/ I.1SG het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF gesondig /χəˈsɔndəχ/ sin.PTCP teen /tɪən/ against die /di/ the.DEF hemel /ˈɦɪəməl/ heaven.SG en /ɛn/ and.CONJ voor /fʊər/ before u /y/ you.2SG.HON
F.5a en and ek I is am nie not meer more werd worthy om for u your seun son genoem called te to word become nie not
F.5b en /ɛn/ and.CONJ ek /ɛk/ I.1SG is /əs/ be.PRES nie /ni/ not.NEG1 meer /mɪər/ more werd /vɛrt/ worthy om /ɔm/ for.COMP u /y/ your.2SG.HON.POSS seun /sʏən/ son.SG genoem /χəˈnum/ call.PTCP te /tə/ to.INF word /vɔrt/ become.AUX.PASS.INF nie /ni/ not.NEG2
F.6a maak make my me soos like een one van of u your huurlinge hirelings
F.6b maak /mɑːk/ make.IMP my /məɪ/ me.1SG soos /sʊəs/ like een /ɪən/ one.NUM van /fan/ of u /y/ your.2SG.HON.POSS huurlinge /ˈɦyːrləŋə/ hireling.PL
F.7a En and hy he het has opgestaan got-up en and na to sy his vader father gegaan gone
F.7b En /ɛn/ and.CONJ hy /ɦəɪ/ he.3SG het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF opgestaan /ˈɔpχəstɑːn/ up-stand.PTCP en /ɛn/ and.CONJ na /nɑː/ to.PREP sy /səɪ/ his.3SG.POSS vader /ˈfɑːdər/ father.SG gegaan /χəˈχɑːn/ go.PTCP
F.8a En and toe when hy he nog still ver far was was het has sy his vader father hom him gesien seen
F.8b En /ɛn/ and.CONJ toe /tu/ when.SUBORD hy /ɦəɪ/ he.3SG nog /nɔχ/ still ver /fɛr/ far was /vas/ be.PAST het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF sy /səɪ/ his.3SG.POSS vader /ˈfɑːdər/ father.SG hom /ɦɔm/ him.3SG gesien /χəˈsin/ see.PTCP
F.9a en and innig deeply jammer sorry vir for hom him gevoel felt en and gehardloop run en and hom him omhels embraced en and hartlik heartily gesoen kissed
F.9b en /ɛn/ and.CONJ innig /ˈənəχ/ deeply jammer /ˈjamər/ sorry vir /fər/ for hom /ɦɔm/ him.3SG gevoel /χəˈful/ feel.PTCP en /ɛn/ and.CONJ gehardloop /χəˈɦartlʊəp/ run.PTCP en /ɛn/ and.CONJ hom /ɦɔm/ him.3SG omhels /ɔmˈɦɛls/ embrace.PTCP en /ɛn/ and.CONJ hartlik /ˈɦartlək/ heartily gesoen /χəˈsun/ kiss.PTCP
F-B: Authentic Text with Idiomatic English Translation
Maar hy het tot homself gekom en gesê: Hoe baie huurlinge van my vader het oorvloed van brood, en ek vergaan van honger! Ek sal opstaan en na my vader gaan, en ek sal vir hom sê: Vader, ek het gesondig teen die hemel en voor u, en ek is nie meer werd om u seun genoem te word nie; maak my soos een van u huurlinge. En hy het opgestaan en na sy vader gegaan. En toe hy nog ver was, het sy vader hom gesien en innig jammer vir hom gevoel en gehardloop en hom omhels en hartlik gesoen.
→ “But he came to himself and said: How many of my father’s hired men have bread in plenty, and I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. And he got up and went to his father. And while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with pity for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him warmly.” (Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Authentic Text Only
Maar hy het tot homself gekom en gesê: Hoe baie huurlinge van my vader het oorvloed van brood, en ek vergaan van honger! Ek sal opstaan en na my vader gaan, en ek sal vir hom sê: Vader, ek het gesondig teen die hemel en voor u, en ek is nie meer werd om u seun genoem te word nie; maak my soos een van u huurlinge. En hy het opgestaan en na sy vader gegaan. En toe hy nog ver was, het sy vader hom gesien en innig jammer vir hom gevoel en gehardloop en hom omhels en hartlik gesoen.
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
Tot homself gekom (F.1) — “came to himself”, the same image as the English of the King James Bible. Tot marks the end point of a movement, here a movement of the mind (Section D, 9).
Na my vader gaan … na sy vader gegaan (F.3, F.7) — na alone before a person, in the measured style of the Bible. Everyday speech would often add toe: na my pa toe. The son’s plan and the son’s act are told in the same words: first sal … gaan, “will go”, with the infinitive at the end; then het … gegaan, “went”, with the participle at the end.
Vir hom sê (F.3) — vir marks the person spoken to, as in Ma het vir die kinders gesê (6.12). In F.9, jammer vir hom, vir means “for”.
Om u seun genoem te word (F.5) — om … te with a passive infinitive: genoem word, “be called”, splits round te, and u seun stands between om and the verbs. Compare om brood te koop (6.8). The clause ek is nie … werd … nie keeps the double negative of Lesson 4 round the whole of it.
Oorvloed van brood … vergaan van honger (F.2) — two uses of van from Lesson 5: “abundance of bread”, and van giving the cause, “perish from hunger”, as in moeg van die lang reis (5.10). Een van u huurlinge (F.6) is “one of”, as in een van my vriende (5.6).
U (F.4–F.6) — the son speaks to his father with the respectful u, “you, your”, as the psalm in Lesson 5 speaks to God.
Toe hy nog ver was (F.8) — here toe is not “to” but “when”, for a single event in the past. The verb was goes to the end of the clause, and the main clause that follows begins with the verb: het sy vader hom gesien.
The chain of participles in F.9 — gevoel, gehardloop, omhels, gesoen — all hang on the one het of F.8. Omhels has no ge-, because om- here is an unstressed prefix, like ver- in vergeet (6.10).
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A conversation written for this lesson. Early in the morning, at the bus station in Johannesburg, Anna meets her friend Pieter, who is about to take the overnight bus to Cape Town. Anna speaks first (6.16), and they take turns; Pieter’s first answer runs over two sentences (6.17–6.18). The speakers are named in Part C.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
6.16a Môre morning Pieter Pieter Waarheen where-to gaan go jy you so so vroeg early
6.16b Môre /ˈmɔːrə/ morning.GREET Pieter /ˈpitər/ Pieter Waarheen /ˈvɑːrɦɪən/ where-thither.INTERR gaan /χɑːn/ go.PRES jy /jəɪ/ you.2SG so /sʊə/ so vroeg /fruχ/ early
6.17a Ek I gaan go Kaapstad Cape-Town toe to na to my my suster sister toe to
6.17b Ek /ɛk/ I.1SG gaan /χɑːn/ go.PRES Kaapstad /ˈkɑːpstat/ Cape-Town toe /tu/ to.POSTP na /nɑː/ to.PREP my /məɪ/ my.1SG.POSS suster /ˈsœstər/ sister.SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP
6.18a Sy she het has my me gevra asked om for haar her met with die the troue wedding te to help help
6.18b Sy /səɪ/ she.3SG het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF my /məɪ/ me.1SG gevra /χəˈfrɑː/ ask.PTCP om /ɔm/ for.COMP haar /ɦɑːr/ her.3SG met /mɛt/ with die /di/ the.DEF troue /ˈtrœʊə/ wedding.SG te /tə/ to.INF help /ɦɛlp/ help.INF
6.19a Gaan go jy you met with die the trein train of or met with die the bus bus
6.19b Gaan /χɑːn/ go.PRES jy /jəɪ/ you.2SG met /mɛt/ with die /di/ the.DEF trein /trəɪn/ train.SG of /ɔf/ or.CONJ met /mɛt/ with die /di/ the.DEF bus /bœs/ bus.SG
6.20a Met with die the bus bus want because ek I hou hold daarvan of-it om for by by die the venster window uit out te to kyk look
6.20b Met /mɛt/ with die /di/ the.DEF bus /bœs/ bus.SG want /vant/ because.CONJ ek /ɛk/ I.1SG hou /ɦœʊ/ hold.PRES daarvan /ˈdɑːrfan/ there-of om /ɔm/ for.COMP by /bəɪ/ by die /di/ the.DEF venster /ˈfɛnstər/ window.SG uit /œɪt/ out.PTCL te /tə/ to.INF kyk /kəɪk/ look.INF
6.21a Sal shall jy you vir to my me ’n a poskaart postcard stuur send
6.21b Sal /sal/ shall.AUX.FUT jy /jəɪ/ you.2SG vir /fər/ to.IO my /məɪ/ me.1SG ’n /ə/ a.INDEF poskaart /ˈpɔskɑːrt/ post-card.SG stuur /styːr/ send.INF
6.22a Natuurlik of-course Moet must ek I dit it aan to jou you of or aan to jou your ma mother stuur send
6.22b Natuurlik /naˈtyːrlək/ naturally Moet /mut/ must.AUX.MOD ek /ɛk/ I.1SG dit /dət/ it.3SG.N aan /ɑːn/ to.IO jou /jœʊ/ you.2SG of /ɔf/ or.CONJ aan /ɑːn/ to.IO jou /jœʊ/ your.2SG.POSS ma /mɑː/ mother.SG stuur /styːr/ send.INF
6.23a Aan to my me asseblief please My my ma mother gaan goes volgende next week week na to Durban Durban toe to
6.23b Aan /ɑːn/ to.IO my /məɪ/ me.1SG asseblief /ˈasəblif/ please My /məɪ/ my.1SG.POSS ma /mɑː/ mother.SG gaan /χɑːn/ go.PRES volgende /ˈfɔlχəndə/ next week /vɪək/ week.SG na /nɑː/ to.PREP Durban /ˈdœrban/ Durban toe /tu/ to.POSTP
6.24a Die the rit trip is is lank long die the bus bus ry rides die the hele whole nag night deur through tot up-to in in Kaapstad Cape-Town
6.24b Die /di/ the.DEF rit /rət/ trip.SG is /əs/ be.PRES lank /laŋk/ long die /di/ the.DEF bus /bœs/ bus.SG ry /rəɪ/ ride.PRES die /di/ the.DEF hele /ˈɦɪələ/ whole.ATTR nag /naχ/ night.SG deur /dʏər/ through.POSTP tot /tɔt/ up-to in /ən/ in Kaapstad /ˈkɑːpstat/ Cape-Town
6.25a Vat take iets something saam along om for onderweg on-the-way te to eet eat
6.25b Vat /fat/ take.IMP iets /its/ something saam /sɑːm/ along.PTCL om /ɔm/ for.COMP onderweg /ˈɔndərvɛχ/ on-the-way te /tə/ to.INF eet /ɪət/ eat.INF
6.26a Ma Mum het has vir for my me toebroodjies sandwiches gemaak made
6.26b Ma /mɑː/ Mum het /ɦɛt/ have.AUX.PERF vir /fər/ for my /məɪ/ me.1SG toebroodjies /ˈtubrʊəikis/ shut-bread.DIM.PL gemaak /χəˈmɑːk/ make.PTCP
6.27a Daar there kom comes jou your bus bus Hardloop run gou quickly na to die the hek gate toe to
6.27b Daar /dɑːr/ there kom /kɔm/ come.PRES jou /jœʊ/ your.2SG.POSS bus /bœs/ bus.SG Hardloop /ˈɦartlʊəp/ run.IMP gou /χœʊ/ quickly na /nɑː/ to.PREP die /di/ the.DEF hek /ɦɛk/ gate.SG toe /tu/ to.POSTP
6.28a Totsiens goodbye Anna Anna Ek I bel call jou you wanneer when ek I by at my my suster sister kom come
6.28b Totsiens /tɔtˈsins/ till-seeing Anna /ˈana/ Anna Ek /ɛk/ I.1SG bel /bɛl/ call.PRES jou /jœʊ/ you.2SG wanneer /vaˈnɪər/ when.SUBORD ek /ɛk/ I.1SG by /bəɪ/ at my /məɪ/ my.1SG.POSS suster /ˈsœstər/ sister.SG kom /kɔm/ come.PRES
6.29a Ry ride veilig safely en and sê say vir to jou your suster sister ek I wens wish haar her alles everything van of die the beste best
6.29b Ry /rəɪ/ ride.IMP veilig /ˈfəɪləχ/ safe en /ɛn/ and.CONJ sê /sɛː/ say.IMP vir /fər/ to.IO jou /jœʊ/ your.2SG.POSS suster /ˈsœstər/ sister.SG ek /ɛk/ I.1SG wens /vɛns/ wish.PRES haar /ɦɑːr/ her.3SG alles /ˈaləs/ everything van /fan/ of die /di/ the.DEF beste /ˈbɛstə/ good.SUPERL
6.30a Dankie thanks Ek I sal shall dit it vir to haar her sê say
6.30b Dankie /ˈdaŋki/ thanks Ek /ɛk/ I.1SG sal /sal/ shall.AUX.FUT dit /dət/ it.3SG.N vir /fər/ to.IO haar /ɦɑːr/ her.3SG sê /sɛː/ say.INF
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Part B: Natural Text with Idiomatic Translation
6.16 Môre, Pieter! Waarheen gaan jy so vroeg? → “Morning, Pieter! Where are you off to so early?”
6.17 Ek gaan Kaapstad toe, na my suster toe. → “I’m going to Cape Town, to my sister’s.”
6.18 Sy het my gevra om haar met die troue te help. → “She has asked me to help her with the wedding.”
6.19 Gaan jy met die trein of met die bus? → “Are you going by train or by bus?”
6.20 Met die bus, want ek hou daarvan om by die venster uit te kyk. → “By bus, because I like looking out of the window.”
6.21 Sal jy vir my ’n poskaart stuur? → “Will you send me a postcard?”
6.22 Natuurlik! Moet ek dit aan jou of aan jou ma stuur? → “Of course! Shall I send it to you or to your mum?”
6.23 Aan my, asseblief. My ma gaan volgende week na Durban toe. → “To me, please. My mum is going to Durban next week.”
6.24 Die rit is lank: die bus ry die hele nag deur tot in Kaapstad. → “It’s a long trip: the bus drives right through the night all the way to Cape Town.”
6.25 Vat iets saam om onderweg te eet. → “Take something along to eat on the way.”
6.26 Ma het vir my toebroodjies gemaak. → “Mum made me sandwiches.”
6.27 Daar kom jou bus! Hardloop gou na die hek toe. → “There’s your bus! Run to the gate, quickly.”
6.28 Totsiens, Anna! Ek bel jou wanneer ek by my suster kom. → “Goodbye, Anna! I’ll call you when I get to my sister’s.”
6.29 Ry veilig, en sê vir jou suster ek wens haar alles van die beste. → “Travel safely, and tell your sister I wish her all the best.”
6.30 Dankie! Ek sal dit vir haar sê. → “Thanks! I’ll tell her.”
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Part C: Text in Afrikaans Only
Op pad Kaapstad toe
Anna: Môre, Pieter! Waarheen gaan jy so vroeg?
Pieter: Ek gaan Kaapstad toe, na my suster toe. Sy het my gevra om haar met die troue te help.
Anna: Gaan jy met die trein of met die bus?
Pieter: Met die bus, want ek hou daarvan om by die venster uit te kyk.
Anna: Sal jy vir my ’n poskaart stuur?
Pieter: Natuurlik! Moet ek dit aan jou of aan jou ma stuur?
Anna: Aan my, asseblief. My ma gaan volgende week na Durban toe.
Pieter: Die rit is lank: die bus ry die hele nag deur tot in Kaapstad.
Anna: Vat iets saam om onderweg te eet.
Pieter: Ma het vir my toebroodjies gemaak.
Anna: Daar kom jou bus! Hardloop gou na die hek toe.
Pieter: Totsiens, Anna! Ek bel jou wanneer ek by my suster kom.
Anna: Ry veilig, en sê vir jou suster ek wens haar alles van die beste.
Pieter: Dankie! Ek sal dit vir haar sê.
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Part D: Grammar Notes for the Genre Section
Direction with na and toe: Kaapstad toe (6.17), with toe alone after a city, as people say in conversation; na my suster toe (6.17), na Durban toe (6.23), na die hek toe (6.27), with the circumposition. Waarheen, “where to” (6.16), asks for the destination (Section D, 5).
Om … te: om haar met die troue te help (6.18), with everything that belongs to the verb between om and te; om by die venster uit te kyk (6.20), where the separable verb uitkyk splits round te; om onderweg te eet (6.25), a purpose, “to eat on the way”.
Hou daarvan om … te (6.20): hou van, “like” (Lesson 5), becomes daarvan, “of it”, when an om … te clause follows: ek hou daarvan om … te kyk, “I like to look”.
Vir and aan: vir my ’n poskaart stuur (6.21) and sê vir jou suster (6.29), ek sal dit vir haar sê (6.30), with vir for the receiver in conversation; aan jou of aan jou ma (6.22), aan my (6.23), with aan for the address of a postcard. Ma het vir my toebroodjies gemaak (6.26): here vir means “for”.
Tot in Kaapstad (6.24): “all the way into Cape Town”, tot with in. Die hele nag deur, “right through the night”: deur, “through”, stands after the noun, as af does in van … af.
Totsiens (6.28): tot + siens, “till seeing”, the everyday “goodbye”.
Separable verbs: saamvat, “take along”, splits in the imperative: Vat iets saam (6.25), as haal … af did in Lesson 5.
Present for future: ek bel jou (6.28), my ma gaan volgende week (6.23): Afrikaans often uses the present tense for a planned future, as English does with “I’m going”.
Subordinate clauses send the verb to the end: wanneer ek by my suster kom (6.28). After sê, the reported words may keep main-clause order without dat: sê vir jou suster ek wens haar … (6.29).
Greetings: Môre! (6.16), “Good morning!”, the same word as môre, “tomorrow” (6.9). Dankie (6.30), “thank you”, is said /ˈdaŋki/.
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Na /nɑː/: a long open a; the same sound in aan /ɑːn/ and Kaapstad /ˈkɑːpstat/.
Toe /tu/: oe is always /u/: toe, moet /mut/, genoem /χəˈnum/, gesoen /χəˈsun/. Toe is written as one word with what it belongs to only in compounds: toemaak, toebroodjie; after a place it stays separate: huis toe.
Te /tə/ and om /ɔm/ are always written as separate words: om te swem, never ✗ omte.
Vir /fər/: the v is f, the vowel weak; it is written vir, not ✗ fir.
Waarheen /ˈvɑːrɦɪən/ and totsiens /tɔtˈsins/ are written as one word.
Môre /ˈmɔːrə/ has a circumflex on the o: it marks the long open vowel. Sê /sɛː/ has a circumflex on the e, gesê /χəˈsɛː/ keeps it (6.12, F.1).
Eu is /ʏə/: deur /dʏər/ (6.10, 6.24), seun /sʏən/ (F.5).
Uu is /yː/: stuur /styːr/ (6.21), natuurlik /naˈtyːrlək/ (6.22), huurlinge /ˈɦyːrləŋə/ (F.2).
The diminutive -jie after d, and -tjie, are said /ki/: toebroodjies /ˈtubrʊəikis/ (6.26), from brood + -jie, as in bietjie /ˈbiki/ (Lesson 5).
Compounds are written as one word: burgemeester (6.7), lughawe (6.14), halfuur (6.14), poskaart (6.21), onderweg (6.25).
Final d is /t/, final g is /χ/: brood /brʊət/, Kaapstad /ˈkɑːpstat/, werd /vɛrt/, word /vɔrt/, vroeg /fruχ/, onderweg /ˈɔndərvɛχ/, gesondig /χəˈsɔndəχ/.
The IPA in this lesson follows standard Afrikaans, with each word said on its own, as in Lessons 1 to 5.
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✓ Lesson 6 Afrikaans complete — na (to)
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)