Language/Afrikaans/Grammar/Pronouns

Afrikaans Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Afrikaans learners! 😊
In today's lesson, we will be discussing pronouns in Afrikaans. Pronouns are words that replace nouns and can be used to make sentences more concise and easier to understand. We will look at the different types of pronouns, how they are used, and some examples of their usage.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to refer to people or things. In Afrikaans, there are three types of personal pronouns: subject pronouns, object pronouns, and possessive pronouns.

Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns are used to refer to the subject of a sentence. The subject is the person or thing performing the action. In Afrikaans, the subject pronouns are:

• ek (I)
• jy (you)
• hy (he)
• sy (she)
• dit (it)
• ons (we)
• julle (you)
• hulle (they)

Examples:

• Ek skryf 'n brief. (I am writing a letter.)
• Jy lees 'n boek. (You are reading a book.)
• Hy kyk na die televisie. (He is watching television.)
• Sy maak 'n kos. (She is making food.)
• Dit loop. (It is walking.)
• Ons speel. (We are playing.)
• Julle sing. (You are singing.)
• Hulle slaap. (They are sleeping.)

Object Pronouns

Object pronouns are used to refer to the object of a sentence. The object is the person or thing receiving the action. In Afrikaans, the object pronouns are:

• my (me)
• jou (you)
• hom (him)
• haar (her)
• dit (it)
• ons (us)
• julle (you)
• hulle (them)

Examples:

• Ek sien my. (I see me.)
• Jy sien jou. (You see you.)
• Hy sien hom. (He sees him.)
• Sy sien haar. (She sees her.)
• Dit sien dit. (It sees it.)
• Ons sien ons. (We see us.)
• Julle sien julle. (You see you.)
• Hulle sien hulle. (They see them.)

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership or possession. In Afrikaans, the possessive pronouns are:

• my (mine)
• jou (yours)
• sy (his)
• haar (hers)
• sy (its)
• ons (ours)
• julle (yours)
• hulle (theirs)

Examples:

• Die boek is myne. (The book is mine.)
• Die pen is joune. (The pen is yours.)
• Die kat is syne. (The cat is his.)
• Die hond is haarne. (The dog is hers.)
• Die tafel is syne. (The table is its.)
• Die huis is onse. (The house is ours.)
• Die stoel is julle. (The chair is yours.)
• Die kamer is hulle. (The room is theirs.)

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out specific people or things. In Afrikaans, the demonstrative pronouns are:

• hierdie (this)
• daardie (that)
• dié (that)

Examples:

• Hierdie is my huis. (This is my house.)
• Daardie is jou huis. (That is your house.)
• Dié is sy huis. (That is his house.)

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. In Afrikaans, the interrogative pronouns are:

• wie (who)
• wat (what)
• waar (where)
• wanneer (when)
• waarom (why)
• hoe (how)

Examples:

• Wie is jy? (Who are you?)
• Wat doen jy? (What are you doing?)
• Waar is jy? (Where are you?)
• Wanneer gaan jy? (When are you going?)
• Waarom gaan jy? (Why are you going?)
• Hoe gaan jy? (How are you going?)

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses. In Afrikaans, the relative pronouns are:

• wat (that, which)
• wie (who, whom)

Examples:

• Die boek wat ek gelees het. (The book that I read.)
• Die man wie se naam ek vergeet het. (The man whose name I forgot.)

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to unspecified people or things. In Afrikaans, the indefinite pronouns are:

• almal (everyone)
• iemand (someone)
• niemand (no one)
• elkeen (each one)
• enige (any)
• baie (many)
• min (few)

Examples:

• Almal is hier. (Everyone is here.)
• Iemand het gekom. (Someone has come.)
• Niemand het gekom. (No one has come.)
• Elkeen het gekom. (Each one has come.)
• Enige iets kan gebeur. (Anything can happen.)
• Baie mense is hier. (Many people are here.)
• Min mense is hier. (Few people are here.)

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Related Lessons

• Definite article
• The Rule of “One Knee”
• Nouns
• The Rule of “Two Knees”
• Formal vs Informal Imperatives
• Conditional Mood
• Gender
• Future Tense
• Sentence Structure