Passive: was + ge-

Had Been Done: Was + Ge-

Level 4

Toe ons kom, was die huis al verkoop. (When we came, the house had already been sold.) For a plain past event, say Die huis is gister verkoop.

How It Works

1. A state in the past. Was + ge- form says how something was:

  • Die deur was gesluit. (The door was locked.)
  • Die straat was nog nie geteer nie. (The street wasn't tarred yet.)

2. Done before another past moment. Was + ge- form, often with al, says something had already been done:

  • Die huis was al verkoop toe ons kom. (The house had already been sold when we came.)
  • Toe die gaste opdaag, was die tafel reeds gedek. (When the guests turned up, the table had already been laid.)

3. A plain past event uses is. For something that simply happened, standard Afrikaans uses is + ge- form:

  • Die huis is gister verkoop. (The house was sold yesterday.)
  • Ek is in 1995 gebore. (I was born in 1995.) See is gebore.

English uses was for both, so learners often say was gebore. Teachers and examiners mark that as a mistake.

4. Is can also look back. With al or toe, is + ge- form can also carry the earlier past: Dit is toe al gedoen. Many speakers treat it like Dit was toe al gedoen. Use was when you want the order of events, or a past state, to be clear.

5. Now and then. Die deur is gesluit can mean the door is locked now. Die deur was gesluit moves that state into the past.

Tip: In the active, the same idea of had done uses het + ge- form, sometimes with gehad (see het ... gehad). The passive never adds geword: say Die huis was al verkoop.

Examples (6)

  1. Die deur was gesluit.

    The door was locked.

    Word by Word: The door was locked.

    A state at a past moment.

  2. Die huis was al verkoop toe ons kom.

    The house had already been sold when we came.

    Word by Word: The house was already sold when we come.

  3. Toe die gaste opdaag, was die tafel reeds gedek.

    When the guests turned up, the table had already been laid.

    Word by Word: When the guests turn up, was the table already laid.

  4. Die straat was nog nie geteer nie.

    The street hadn't been tarred yet.

    Word by Word: The street was yet not tarred not.

  5. Al die kos was al opgeëet toe ek by die huis kom.

    All the food had already been eaten when I got home.

    Word by Word: All the food was already up-eaten when I at the house come.

  6. Die huis is gister verkoop.

    The house was sold yesterday.

    Word by Word: The house is yesterday sold.

    A plain past event, so the helper is is, not was.

Common Mistakes

  • Using was for a plain past event such as being born.

    Ek was in 1995 gebore.
    Ek is in 1995 gebore.

    Being born is a single past event, so standard Afrikaans uses is + ge- form. Was gebore follows English and is marked wrong.

  • Adding geword to the passive.

    Die huis was al verkoop geword toe ons kom.
    Die huis was al verkoop toe ons kom.

    The passive uses was or is + ge- form and never adds geword. Geword goes with het and means became, as in Hy het siek geword.

How It Connects

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

Passive: was + ge-Level 4Had Been Done: Was + Ge-

Learn This First

Was + ge- form makes the past passive in the past.

Words in This Pattern

ge-