hebbende/synde

Archaic Participles: Hebbende and Synde

Level 6

Synde means being and hebbende means having. They add a reason or an earlier action in formal writing: Synde die eienaar, mag hy die hek sluit. (Being the owner, he may lock the gate.)

How It Works

1. Two irregular participles. The normal -ende participle is built on the verb: loop → lopende, kom → komende. The verbs wees and hê instead use old stems: wees → synde (being) and hê → hebbende (having). Forms such as *weesende or *hêende do not exist.

2. Synde: being. Synde + a noun or adjective says what someone is, usually as a reason. It often stands between commas right after the subject, or at the start of the sentence:

  • Die koper, synde 'n geregistreerde maatskappy, betaal die koste. (The buyer, being a registered company, pays the costs.)
  • Synde die eienaar, mag hy die hek sluit. (Being the owner, he may lock the gate.)

When the phrase comes first, the finite verb follows next, as in verb-second order: Synde die eienaar, mag hy ...

3. Hebbende: having done. Hebbende + object + past participle describes an action finished before the main one. Inside the phrase, the object comes before the participle, as everywhere in Afrikaans: hebbende die getuienis aangehoor (having heard the evidence). This is a formal kind of participle clause.

4. The subject must match. The phrase describes the subject of the main clause. Synde siek, het die dokter my huis toe gestuur says that the doctor was sick. If that is not what you mean, use a full clause.

5. Where you meet them. These forms belong to contracts, court orders, affidavits and old official letters (see legal and official Afrikaans). Everyday Afrikaans says the same thing with a clause or with as:

  • Omdat hy die eienaar is, mag hy die hek sluit. / As eienaar mag hy die hek sluit.
  • Nadat die raad die aansoek oorweeg het, het hy dit goedgekeur.

Examples (5)

  1. Synde die eienaar van die grond, mag hy die hek sluit.

    Being the owner of the land, he may lock the gate.

    Word by Word: Being the owner of the land, may he the gate lock.

  2. Die koper, synde 'n geregistreerde maatskappy, betaal die koste.

    The buyer, being a registered company, pays the costs.

    Word by Word: The buyer, being a registered company, pays the costs.

  3. Ek, die ondergetekende, synde behoorlik gemagtig, verklaar hiermee soos volg.

    I, the undersigned, being duly authorised, hereby declare as follows.

    Word by Word: I, the undersigned, being duly authorised, declare herewith as follows.

    A typical opening of an affidavit or formal declaration.

  4. Die hof, hebbende die getuienis aangehoor, beveel dat die kontrak nietig is.

    The court, having heard the evidence, orders that the contract is void.

    Word by Word: The court, having the evidence heard, orders that the contract void is.

    The object die getuienis comes before the participle aangehoor.

  5. Hebbende die aansoek oorweeg, keur die raad dit goed.

    Having considered the application, the council approves it.

    Word by Word: Having the application considered, approves the council it good.

    The verb keur comes right after the fronted phrase.

Common Mistakes

  • Building a regular -ende form from wees or hê.

    Weesende die eienaar, mag hy die hek sluit.
    Synde die eienaar, mag hy die hek sluit.

    Wees and hê have irregular participles: synde and hebbende. Weesende and hêende are not words.

  • Putting the object after the participle, as in English.

    Hebbende oorweeg die aansoek, keur die raad dit goed.
    Hebbende die aansoek oorweeg, keur die raad dit goed.

    Inside the phrase, Afrikaans keeps the object before the verb form: hebbende die aansoek oorweeg.

  • Letting the phrase describe the wrong person.

    Synde siek, het die dokter my huis toe gestuur.
    Omdat ek siek was, het die dokter my huis toe gestuur.

    The meaning intended is that I was sick. A synde phrase always describes the subject of the main clause, so this sentence says the doctor was sick. Use a full clause instead.

How It Connects

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hebbende/syndeLevel 6Archaic Participles: Hebbende and Synde

Learn This First

Hebbende and synde are archaic participles.

Words in This Pattern

hebbendesynde-ende