het + kon/moes/wou

Modals After Het: Het Nie Kon Kom Nie

Level 3

In the past, a modal can follow het: Ek het nie kon kom nie. (I couldn't come.) It means the same as Ek kon nie kom nie.

How It Works

1. Two ways to say the same thing. Afrikaans can put the past of a modal in second place, or use het:

  • Ek kon nie kom nie. = Ek het nie kon kom nie. (I couldn't come.)
  • Ons moes gister laat werk. = Ons het gister laat moes werk. (We had to work late yesterday.)
  • Sy wou nog altyd 'n dokter word. = Sy het nog altyd 'n dokter wou word. (She always wanted to become a doctor.)

2. Word order. Het takes second place. At the end come the modal and then the main verb. Nie ... nie wraps around them as usual.

3. No ge-. The main verb stays a bare infinitive: kon kom, not kon gekom. The modal has no ge- form either.

4. Not the same as kon ... het. Kon + ge- form + het means could have, for something that was possible but did not happen: Ek kon gekom het. (I could have come, but I didn't.) Ek het nie kon kom nie simply says you were not able to come.

5. Which one to use. The simple past, Ek kon nie kom nie, is far more common, especially in writing, and some grammarians call the het form old-fashioned. The het form is still correct, so it is good to recognize it when you read or hear it.

Examples (5)

  1. Ek het nie kon kom nie.

    I couldn't come.

    Word by Word: I have not could come not.

    It means the same as Ek kon nie kom nie.

  2. Sy het nog altyd 'n dokter wou word.

    She always wanted to become a doctor.

    Word by Word: She has still always a doctor wanted become.

  3. Ons het gister laat moes werk.

    We had to work late yesterday.

    Word by Word: We have yesterday late had-to work.

  4. Hy het die hele nag nie kon slaap nie.

    He couldn't sleep all night.

    Word by Word: He has the whole night not could sleep not.

  5. Ek het nog altyd Parys toe wou gaan.

    I have always wanted to go to Paris.

    Word by Word: I have still always Paris to wanted go.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the ge- form of the main verb.

    Ek het nie kon gekom nie.
    Ek het nie kon kom nie.

    After the modal, the main verb stays a bare infinitive: kom, not gekom.

  • Adding ge- to the modal.

    Sy het altyd 'n dokter gewou word.
    Sy het altyd 'n dokter wou word.

    Modals have no ge- form. Use wou just as it is.

  • Putting the modal straight after het.

    Ek het kon nie kom nie.
    Ek het nie kon kom nie.

    Only het takes second place. The modal goes to the end together with the main verb, after the first nie.

How It Connects

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

het + kon/moes/wouLevel 3Modals After Het: Het Nie Kon Kom Nie

Learn This First

Het can combine with a modal past form and an infinitive.

Words in This Pattern

konmoeswou