Noun + toe
Going Somewhere: Huis Toe
Toe after a place means to that place: Ek gaan huis toe (I'm going home), Die kinders gaan skool toe.
How It Works
Afrikaans has a special way to say where you are going: put toe after the place.
- huis toe: home
- skool toe: to school
- werk toe: to work
- kerk toe: to church
- dorp toe: to town
- see toe: to the seaside
- Kaapstad toe: to Cape Town
Written as two words. Toe is a separate word: huis toe, not huistoe.
Add na when the noun has a word before it. With die, a possessive or an adjective, put na in front and keep toe at the end: na die nuwe winkel toe, na my ouma toe. See van ... af/na ... toe.
With a modal verb, the toe phrase sits just before the infinitive at the end: Ek moet vroeg werk toe gaan. See modal + infinitive.
Asking where. Waar gaan jy heen? (Where are you going?) Huis toe. See waar ... vandaan/heen.
Other words spelled toe. Toe can also mean then or when for the past (see toe (when)), and closed: Die deur is toe. The place pattern is easy to spot, because toe comes right after a place.
Examples (6)
- Ek gaan nou huis toe.
I'm going home now.
Word by Word: I go now house to.
- Die kinders stap skool toe.
The children walk to school.
Word by Word: The children walk school to.
- Ons ry Saterdag Kaapstad toe.
We're driving to Cape Town on Saturday.
Word by Word: We drive Saturday Cape Town to.
- Gaan jy Sondag kerk toe?
Are you going to church on Sunday?
Word by Word: Go you Sunday church to?
- Ek moet vroeg werk toe gaan.
I have to go to work early.
Word by Word: I must early work to go.
With a modal verb, the toe phrase comes before the infinitive at the end.
- Sy gaan na die nuwe winkel toe.
She's going to the new shop.
Word by Word: She goes to the new shop to.
Die and an adjective come before the noun, so na is added.
Common Mistakes
Putting toe before the place, like English to.
Ek gaan toe huis.Ek gaan huis toe.Toe always follows the place noun.
Writing the place and toe as one word.
Ons gaan skooltoe.Ons gaan skool toe.The official spelling rules write the noun and toe as two separate words.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Going somewhere with toe is an alternative to na.
Related Patterns
- van ... af/na ... toeVan ... Af and Na ... Toe
The full na ... toe frame, and its partner van ... af.
Level 3 - waar ... vandaan/heenWhere from and Where to
Waar ... heen asks where someone is going.
Level 1 - toe (When)When in the Past: Toe
The same word toe also means when for past events.
Level 2 - Modal Verb Word Order
With a modal, the toe phrase comes before the infinitive at the end.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Noun + toe in Bubblegum
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