oor
Over and About
Oor has four everyday jobs: over or across (oor die brug), about ('n boek oor diere), past on the clock (kwart oor drie) and in for time from now (oor 'n week).
How It Works
1. Over and across. Ons loop oor die brug. (We walk across the bridge.) 'n Vliegtuig vlieg oor die stad. (A plane flies over the city.)
2. About a topic. 'n boek oor diere (a book about animals), Hulle praat oor die weer. (They're talking about the weather.) Many verbs pair with oor like this (see verbs with fixed prepositions).
3. Past the hour. kwart oor drie (quarter past three), tien oor sewe (ten past seven) (see telling the time).
4. In, counting from now. oor 'n week (in a week), oor twee dae (in two days), Die trein kom oor vyf minute. (The train comes in five minutes.) Counting back uses gelede: 'n week gelede (a week ago).
5. About it. Oor dit usually becomes daaroor: Ons praat later daaroor. (We'll talk about it later.) (see daar + preposition).
Tip: in twee weke means within two weeks, which is how long something takes: Hy het die huis in twee weke geverf. (He painted the house in two weeks.) For a moment in the future, use oor.
Examples (6)
- Die kinders hardloop oor die brug.
The children run across the bridge.
Word by Word: The children run over the bridge.
- Ek lees 'n boek oor walvisse.
I'm reading a book about whales.
Word by Word: I read a book about whales.
Here oor means about.
- Dit is kwart oor drie.
It's quarter past three.
Word by Word: It is quarter over three.
On the clock, oor counts the minutes past the hour.
- Ek sien jou oor 'n week.
I'll see you in a week.
Word by Word: I see you over a week.
For a time counted from now, Afrikaans uses oor.
- Ons praat later daaroor.
We'll talk about it later.
Word by Word: We talk later about-it.
- Die vliegtuig vlieg oor die berge.
The plane flies over the mountains.
Word by Word: The plane flies over the mountains.
Common Mistakes
Using in for a time counted from now.
Ek sien jou in 'n uur.Ek sien jou oor 'n uur.To mean an hour from now, Afrikaans says oor 'n uur. In 'n uur means within an hour, which is how long something takes.
Using na for past on the clock.
Dit is kwart na drie.Dit is kwart oor drie.Afrikaans counts minutes past the hour with oor, not na.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Oor is a place preposition that can also mean about.
Related Patterns
- Telling the Time
Oor in clock times: kwart oor drie.
Level 2 - Verbs With Fixed Prepositions
Verbs like praat oor and dink oor take oor as a fixed partner.
Level 3 - daarmee/hiervoor/daaroorDaarmee, Hiervoor, Daaroor
Daaroor (about it) replaces oor + dit.
Level 3 - voorIn Front of and Before
Voor counts minutes to the hour, where oor counts minutes past it.
Level 2 - Present Tense for the Future
Oor + time often goes with the present tense for the future: Ek kom oor 'n uur.
Level 2 - deurThrough
Deur (through) is another word for movement from one side to the other: deur die park.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice oor in Bubblegum
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