Sentence Order: STOMPI

Level 3

STOMPI gives the usual order: Subject, Verb 1, Time, Object, Manner, Place, Verb 2, Infinitive. Ek het gister my ma met die motor stasie toe geneem.

How It Works

1. The letters. Teachers often write it as S-V1-T-O-M-P-V2-I:

  • S Subject: who or what the sentence is about.
  • V1 Verb 1: the verb in second place, such as het, sal or the main verb.
  • T Time: when? gister, môre, saans.
  • O Object: what? my ma, sy bal.
  • M Manner: how? hard, met die bus.
  • P Place: where or where to? in die kombuis, stasie toe.
  • V2 Verb 2: the ge- form or infinitive at the end.
  • I Infinitive: an om ... te part, after everything else.

2. A full example. Die seun (S) het (V1) gister (T) sy bal (O) hard (M) oor die heining (P) geskop (V2). (The boy kicked his ball hard over the fence yesterday.)

3. Not every part is needed. Ons (S) eet (V1) saans (T) in die kombuis (P). (We eat in the kitchen in the evenings.)

4. It is a guide. STOMPI shows the plain, neutral order. Real sentences bend it. A pronoun object such as hom or dit usually comes before the time: Ek het hom gister gesien. Any part can also move to the front, and then the verb comes next (verb second): Gister het ek my ma stasie toe geneem.

Tip: STOMPI also helps you place nie; see where the first nie goes.

Examples (6)

  1. Ek het gister my ma met die motor stasie toe geneem.

    I took my mom to the station by car yesterday.

    Word by Word: I have yesterday my mom with the car station to taken.

    S ek, V1 het, T gister, O my ma, M met die motor, P stasie toe, V2 geneem.

  2. Die seun het gister sy bal hard oor die heining geskop.

    The boy kicked his ball hard over the fence yesterday.

    Word by Word: The boy has yesterday his ball hard over the fence kicked.

  3. Ons eet saans in die kombuis.

    We eat in the kitchen in the evenings.

    Word by Word: We eat evenings in the kitchen.

    There is no second verb, so the sentence ends with the place.

  4. Hulle het Saterdag met die trein Kaapstad toe gegaan om hulle ouma te besoek.

    They went to Cape Town by train on Saturday to visit their granny.

    Word by Word: They have Saturday with the train Cape Town to gone to their granny to visit.

    The om ... te part (I) comes after the final verb gegaan.

  5. Ek sal môre die boeke biblioteek toe neem.

    I will take the books to the library tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I will tomorrow the books library to take.

  6. Ek het hom gister in die stad gesien.

    I saw him in town yesterday.

    Word by Word: I have him yesterday in the town seen.

    A pronoun object such as hom usually comes before the time word.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the second verb next to the first, as in English.

    Ek het gekoop 'n nuwe fiets gister.
    Ek het gister 'n nuwe fiets gekoop.

    Verb 2 goes to the very end, and the time word comes early, straight after Verb 1.

  • Putting the time at the end of the sentence, as in English.

    Ek het my ma stasie toe geneem gister.
    Ek het gister my ma stasie toe geneem.

    In Afrikaans the time comes early, before the object, manner and place.

How It Connects

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

Sentence Order: STOMPILevel 3

Learn This First

STOMPI organizes sentence parts between the finite verb, final verb and a following infinitive phrase.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.