If you're trying to learn Afrikaans Verbs you will find some useful resources including a course about Verbs in the present past and future tense... to help you with your Afrikaans grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Afrikaans. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Afrikaans Verbs displayed below is vital to the language. Afrikaans verbs are words that convey action (bring, read, walk, run), or a state of being (exist, stand). In most languages a verb may agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object.
- Present Tense
In Afrikaans, verbs remain the same for everyone in the present tense, unlike English, where they change, for example: I am, you are, he is, she is, they are, we are and everyone is.
In Afrikaans you’ll therefore say: Ek is, jy is, hy is, sy is, hulle is, ons is en almal is.
- Past Tense
In Afrikaans we use (het ge-) added to the verb, to describe past events, for example:
Ek het gespeel (I played), jy het gespeel (you played), hy het gespeel (he played), ons het gespeel (we played). We do not conjugate the verb in any way, like one would notrmally do in French, German or Spanish
- Future Tense
To form the future in Afrikaans it’s very easy, just use the word (sal) with the verb, for example: Ek sal speel (I will play), hy sal speel (he will play), ons sal speel (we will play). No conjugation of the verb is needed.
Here are some examples:
| English Verbs | Afrikaans Verbs |
|---|---|
| Verbs | Werkwoorde |
| Past | Verlede |
| I spoke | ek het gepraat |
| I wrote | ek het geskryf |
| I drove | ek het gery |
| I loved | ek het lief gehad |
| I gave | ek het gegee |
| I smiled | ek het geglimlag |
| I took | ek het geneem |
| he spoke | hy het gepraat |
| he wrote | hy het geskryf |
| he drove | hy het gery |
| he loved | hy het lief gehad |
| he gave | hy het gegee |
| he smiled | hy het geglimlag |
| he took | hy het geneem |
| we spoke | ons het gepraat |
| we wrote | ons het geskryf |
| we drove | ons het gery |
| we loved | ons het lief gehad |
| we gave | ons het gegee |
| we smiled | ons het geglimlag |
| we took | ons het geneem |
| Future | Die toekoms |
| I will speak | Ek sal praat |
| I will write | Ek sal skryf |
| I will drive | Ek sal ry |
| I will love | ek sal liefhê |
| I will give | ek sal gee |
| I will smile | Ek sal glimlag |
| I will take | ek sal neem |
| he will speak | Hy sal praat |
| he will write | Hy sal skryf |
| he will drive | Hy sal ry |
| he will love | hy sal liefhê |
| he will give | hy sal gee |
| he will smile | Hy sal glimlag |
| he will take | hy sal neem |
| we will speak | Ons sal praat |
| we will write | Ons sal skryf |
| we will drive | ons sal ry |
| we will love | ons sal liefhê |
| we will give | ons sal gee |
| we will smile | ons sal glimlag |
| we will take | ons sal gaan |
| Present | Teenwoordig |
| I speak | Ek praat |
| I write | Ek skryf |
| I drive | Ek ry |
| I love | Ek is lief vir |
| I give | Ek gee |
| I smile | Ek glimlag |
| I take | Ek neem |
| he speaks | Hy praat |
| he writes | Hy skryf |
| he drives | hy ry/ hy bestuur |
| he loves | Hy is lief |
| he gives | Hy gee |
| he smiles | Hy glimlag |
| he takes | Hy neem |
| we speak | ons praat |
| we write | ons skryf |
| we drive | Ons ry |
| we love | ons is lief vir… |
| we give | ons gee |
| we smile | ons lag |
| we take | Ons neem |
Notice the structure of the Verbs in Afrikaans has a logical pattern. Locate the Verbs above and see how it works with the rest of the sentence in Afrikaans.
Note: There is no distinction for example between the infinitive and present forms of verbs, with the exception of these verbs, except with the verbs to be: "wees" becomes "is", and the verb to have: "hê" becomes "het".
One more good news is that verbs do not conjugate differently depending on the subject. For example you can say:
I'm (ek is), you're (jy is), he is (hy is).
For most verbs, the past tense (pretirite) (for example: I played) has been completely replaced by the perfect (I have played).
The future tense is in turn indicated using the auxiliary sal + infinitive. For example,
Ek sal kom - I will come, which sounds something like "I shall come".
- Present Tense
In Afrikaans, there is no distinction for example between the infinitive and present forms of verbs, with the exception of these verbs:
|
infinitive form |
English |
present indicative form |
|
wees |
be |
is |
|
hê |
have |
het |
In addition, verbs do not conjugate differently depending on the subject. For example,
|
Afrikaans |
English |
|
ek is |
I am |
|
jy/u is |
you are (sing.) |
|
hy/sy/dit is |
he/she/it is |
|
ons is |
we are |
|
julle is |
you are (plur.) |
|
hulle is |
they are |
- Past Tense
In Afrikaans as well as in English the simple past tense (imperfect) is used to describe past events. The endings for the past tense verbs are:
For most verbs, the preterite (e.g. I watched - Ek het gekyk) has been completely replaced by the perfect (e.g. I have watched). The only common exceptions to this are the modal verbs (see the following table) and the verb wees "be" (preterite form was).
|
Afrikaans |
English |
Afrikaans |
English |
|
kan |
can |
kon |
could |
|
sal |
will/shall |
sou |
would/should |
|
moet |
must |
moes |
had to |
|
mag |
may |
mog (arch.) |
was allowed to |
|
wil |
want |
wou |
wanted |
So just take any regular verb stem and add it to the endings of "ge", for example "ek speel" (I play), its stem is “speel”, plus the endings above becomes ek het gespeel (ek het gespeel).
- Future Tense
Example:
I will play, Ek sal speel; You may continue, Jy mag voortgaan; He had to leave, Hy moes gaan.
Below is a list of the conjugated Verbs in the present past and future in Afrikaans placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Afrikaans vocabulary.
| English Verbs | Afrikaans Verbs |
|---|---|
| I can accept that | Ek kan dit aanvaar |
| she added it | sy het dit bygevoeg |
| we admit it | ons erken dit |
| they advised him | hulle het hom aangeraai om |
| I can agree with that | Ek kan daarmee saamstem |
| she allows it | sy laat dit toe |
| we announce it | ons kondig dit aan |
| I can apologize | ek kan jammer sê |
| she appears today | Sy verskyn vandag |
| they arranged that | hulle het dit gereël |
| I can arrive tomorrow | Ek kan môre kom |
| she can ask him | sy kan hom vra |
| she attaches that | sy voeg toe dat |
| we attack them | ons val hulle aan |
| they avoid her | hulle vermy haar |
| I can bake it | ek kan dit bak |
| she is like him | Sy is soos hy |
| we beat it | ons klop dit |
| they became happy | hulle het gelukkig geword |
| I can begin that | Ek kan dit begin |
| we borrowed money | ons het geld geleën |
| they breathe air | hulle asem lug in |
| I can bring it | Ek kan dit bring |
| I can build that | ek kan dit bou |
| she buys food | Sy koop kos |
| we calculate it | ons bereken dit |
| they carry it | hulle dra dit |
| they don't cheat | hulle is nie oneerlik nie |
| she chooses him | sy kies hom |
| we close it | ons maak dit toe |
| he comes here | hy kom hiernatoe |
| I can compare that | Ek kan dit vergelyk |
| she competes with me | sy kompeteer met my |
| we complain about it | ons kla daaroor |
| they continued reading | hulle het verder gelees |
| he cried about that | hy het daaroor gehuil |
| I can decide now | Ek kan nou besluit |
| she described it to me | sy he dit vir my beskryf |
| we disagree about it | ons stem nie saam daaroor nie |
| they disappeared quickly | hulle het vinnig verdwyn |
| I discovered that | ek het ontdek dat |
| she dislikes that | sy keur dit af |
| we do it | Ons doen dit |
| they dream about it | hulle droom oor |
| I earned | ek het dit verdien |
| he eats a lot | hy eet baie |
| we enjoyed that | ons het dit geniet |
| they entered here | hulle het hier ingegaan |
| he escaped that | hy het dit ontsnap |
| I can explain that | ek kan dit verduidelik |
| she feels that too | sy voel dit ook |
| we fled from there | ons het van daar af gevlug |
| they will fly tomorrow | hulle sal môre vlieg |
| I can follow you | Ek kan jou volg |
| she forgot me | sy het van my vergeet |
| we forgive him | Ons vergewe hom |
| I can give her that | ek kan dit aan haar gee |
| she goes there | sy gaan daarnatoe |
| we greeted them | ons het hulle gegroet |
| I hate that | Ek haat dit |
| I can hear it | ek kan dit hoor |
| she imagine that | Sy dink dit |
| we invited them | ons het hulle uitgenooi |
| I know him | Ek ken hom |
| she learned it | sy het dit geleer |
| we leave now | ons vertrek nou |
| they lied about him | hulle het oor hom gelieg |
| I can listen to that | ek kan daarna luister |
| she lost that | Sy het jy dit verloor |
| we made it yesterday | ons het dit gister gemaak |
| they met him | Hulle het hom ontmoet |
| I misspell that | ek spel dit nie reg nie |
| I always pray | ek bid altyd |
| she prefers that | Sy verkies dit |
| we protected them | ons het hulle beskerm |
| they will punish her | hulle sal haar straf |
| I can put it there | ek kan dit daar sit |
| she will read it | sy sal dit lees |
| we received that | ons het dit ontvang |
| they refuse to talk | hulle weier om te praat |
| I remember that | Ek onthou dit |
| she repeats that | sy herhaal dit |
| we see it | Ons sien dit |
| they sell it | hulle verkoop dit |
| I sent that yesterday | ek het dit gister gestuur |
| he shaved his beard | hy het sy baar geskeer |
| it shrunk quickly | dit het vinnig gekrimp |
| we will sing it | Ons sal dit sing |
| they sat there | hulle het daar gesit |
| I can speak it | ek kan dit praat |
| she spends money | sy het geld gespandeer |
| we suffered from that | ons het aan dit gely |
| they suggest that | hulle stel dit voor |
| I surprised him | ek het hom verbaas |
| she took that | sy het dit geneem |
| we teach it | Ons leer dit |
| they told us | Hulle het ons vertel |
| she thanked him | sy het hom bedank |
| I can think about it | ek kan daaroor dink |
| she threw it | sy het dit gegooi |
| we understand that | ons het dit verstaan |
| they want that | hulle wil dit hê |
| I can wear it | ek kan dit dra |
| she writes that | Sy skryf dit |
| we talk about it | ons praat daaroor |
| they have it | Hulle het dit |
| I watched it | ek het dit gekyk |
| I will talk about it | ek sal daaroor praat |
| he bought that yesterday | hy het dit gister gekoop |
| we finished it | ons het dit klaargemaak |
Verbs in the present past and future tense have a very important role in Afrikaans. Once you're done with Afrikaans Verbs, you might want to check the rest of our Afrikaans lessons here: Learn Afrikaans. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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