al/nog/eers

Al, Nog and Eers

Level 3

al = already: Is jy al klaar? nog = still: Hy slaap nog. eers = first: Ek moet eers eet.

How It Works

1. Al = already.

2. Nog = still, more.

3. Eers = first, only, not until.

First: Ek moet eers eet. (I must eat first.)
Not until: Die winkel maak eers om nege oop. (The shop doesn't open until nine.)
Only: Sy is eers vyf. (She is only five.)

4. Answering a question. Is hy al hier? Nee, nog nie. (Is he here yet? No, not yet.)

Tip: al with the present tense and a time also means "for": Ek woon al vyf jaar hier.

Is jy al klaar?
Are you finished already?
Word by Word: Are you already finished?
Hy slaap nog.
He is still sleeping.
Word by Word: He sleeps still.
Ek moet eers eet.
I must eat first.
Word by Word: I must first eat.
Het jy al geëet?
Have you eaten yet?
Word by Word: Have you already eaten?
In questions, al often means yet.
Die winkel maak eers om nege oop.
The shop doesn't open until nine.
Word by Word: The shop makes only at nine open.
Eers says it happens later than you might expect.
Wil jy nog koffie hê?
Would you like more coffee?
Word by Word: Want you still coffee have?
With a noun, nog means more.

Using al for "not yet".
Ek het al nie geëet nie.
Ek het nog nie geëet nie.
Not yet is nog nie. Al does not combine with nie in this meaning.
Using nog for "yet" in a question.
Het jy nog geëet?
Het jy al geëet?
To ask if something has happened yet, use al.
Using net for "not until".
Hy kom net môre terug.
Hy kom eers môre terug.
Net môre means "just tomorrow", not on other days. To say he is not back until tomorrow, use eers.

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

al/nog/eersLevel 3Al, Nog and Eers

Al, nog and eers are time words related to nog nie.

alnogeers

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