altyd/nooit
Always and Never
Altyd means always and nooit means never. Nooit takes a second nie at the end: Hy eet nooit vleis nie.
How It Works
1. Where they go. Altyd and nooit usually come right after the conjugated verb, which stays in second place:
- Sy is altyd vroeg. (She is always early.)
- Ons gaan altyd Saterdae see toe. (We always go to the sea on Saturdays.)
2. Nooit and nie. Nooit takes the place of the first nie in the double negative, and nie goes at the end: Hy eet nooit vleis nie. Do not add another nie before nooit.
3. Useful combinations.
- nog nooit: never yet, never before. Ek was nog nooit in Kaapstad nie. (I have never been to Cape Town.)
- nooit weer: never again. Ek sal dit nooit weer doen nie.
4. Nooit! on its own. In speech, Nooit! is a lively reply meaning No way! or You're kidding!
Tip: to ask whether something ever happens, use ooit (ever): Was jy al ooit in Namibië?
Examples (6)
- Sy is altyd vroeg.
She is always early.
Word by Word: She is always early.
- Hy eet nooit vleis nie.
He never eats meat.
Word by Word: He eats never meat not.
Nooit is the first negative, and nie closes the sentence.
- Ons gaan altyd Saterdae see toe.
We always go to the sea on Saturdays.
Word by Word: We go always Saturdays sea to.
- Ek was nog nooit in Kaapstad nie.
I have never been to Cape Town.
Word by Word: I was still never in Cape Town not.
Nog nooit means never before.
- Ek sal dit nooit weer doen nie.
I will never do it again.
Word by Word: I shall it never again do not.
- Nooit! Is dit waar?
No way! Is that true?
Word by Word: Never! Is it true?
On its own, Nooit! shows surprise.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the closing nie after nooit.
Hy eet nooit vleis.Hy eet nooit vleis nie.Nooit is the first negative, and the sentence still needs nie at the end.
Putting nooit before the verb, as in English.
Hy nooit eet vleis nie.Hy eet nooit vleis nie.The conjugated verb must stay in second place, so nooit comes after it.
Adding an extra nie before nooit.
Hy eet nie nooit vleis nie.Hy eet nooit vleis nie.Nooit already takes the place of the first nie.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Nooit is a negative word that needs a closing nie.
Related Patterns
- ooitEver: Ooit
Ooit means ever and is used in questions.
Level 4 - nog nie/nie meer nieNot Yet and No Longer
Other time negatives: not yet and no longer.
Level 2 - iets/niksSomething and Nothing
Niks follows the same pattern for things.
Level 2 - Basic Word Order
The verb stays second, so altyd and nooit come after it.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice altyd/nooit in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Afrikaans lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
