Making Tenses Easy in Afrikaans: Part 2 – Past tense

📘 Who this is for: CAPS, IEB, Cambridge students (FAL and SAL Grades 7–12) and adult Afrikaans learners.

In this lesson, you will learn how the past tense works in Afrikaans and how to go from the present tense to the past tense.

Going from the present tense to the past tense

To go from the present tense to the past tense, add the word “het” after the subject of the sentence and move the verb to the back of the sentence.

 

The verb usually gets the prefix “ge,” but there are exceptions to the rule. Go here to learn when to use “ge” in the past tense.

 

Teenwoordige tyd	Verlede tyd
Sy slaap.	Sy het geslaap.
Ek stap.	Ek het gestap.
Hy lag.	Hy het gelag.

 

If the sentence is more complicated

In the present tense, the verb stands before the rest of the sentence. If it is the past tense that verb goes at the end of the sentence, just like in the future tense.

Teenwoordige tyd	Verlede tyd
Sy slaap lekker.	Sy het lekker geslaap.
Ek stap saam met my hond.	Ek het saam met my hond gestap.
Hy lag vir die snaakse dans.	Hy het vir die snaakse dans gelag.

 

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Making Tenses Easy in Afrikaans: Part 2 – Past tense

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