sit/staan/lê en + Verb
Sit En Lees: Ongoing Actions
Sy sit en lees. (She is sitting reading.) Sit, staan, lê or loop + en + a verb shows an action that keeps going.
How It Works
1. The pattern. Posture verb + en + main verb:
- Sy sit en lees. (She is sitting reading.)
- Hy staan en wag vir die bus. (He is standing waiting for the bus.)
- Die kat lê en slaap. (The cat is lying asleep.)
- Hy loop en fluit. (He walks along whistling.)
2. Meaning. The main idea is in the second verb. The first verb adds that the action goes on for a while and shows the body's position. Often the position fades into the background: Hoekom staan julle en lag? (Why are you standing there laughing?)
3. The past. Only the first verb takes ge-. The second verb stays plain: Sy het die hele middag gesit en lees. (She sat reading all afternoon.) In speech you may also hear Sy het sit en lees. If both verbs take ge-, as in gesit en gelees, it sounds like two separate actions: she sat, and she read.
4. Other tenses. After sal, gaan or a modal, both verbs are plain: Ek sal hier sit en wag. (I will sit here and wait.)
Tip: To stress that someone is in the middle of a task, use is besig om te. Afrikaans has no is + verb for is doing.
Examples (6)
- Sy sit en lees.
She is sitting reading.
Word by Word: She sits and reads.
- Hy staan en wag vir die bus.
He is standing waiting for the bus.
Word by Word: He stands and waits for the bus.
- Die kat lê en slaap op die bed.
The cat is lying asleep on the bed.
Word by Word: The cat lies and sleeps on the bed.
- Sy het die hele middag gesit en lees.
She sat reading all afternoon.
Word by Word: She has the whole afternoon sat and read.
Only sit takes ge-. Lees stays plain.
- Hoekom staan julle en lag?
Why are you standing there laughing?
Word by Word: Why stand you and laugh?
Staan mostly shows that the laughing goes on.
- Ek sal hier sit en wag.
I will sit here and wait.
Word by Word: I shall here sit and wait.
Common Mistakes
Using is + verb for an ongoing action, as in English.
Sy is lees.Sy sit en lees.Afrikaans has no is + verb form. Use the plain present, Sy lees, or a posture verb + en to show that the action goes on.
Adding ge- to both verbs for one ongoing action.
Sy het die hele middag gesit en gelees.Sy het die hele middag gesit en lees.For one ongoing action, only the first verb takes ge-. With ge- on both verbs, it sounds like two separate actions.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A posture or movement verb and the following action work together to describe an ongoing activity.
- lê/staan/hangPosition Verbs: Lê, Staan, Hang
The position verbs supply the posture used to frame the ongoing action.
Level 2 - enAnd
En joins the two verbs in this construction.
Level 1 - het + ge-The Past Tense: Het + Ge-
Compare the ordinary past with gesit en lees, where only the first verb takes ge-.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- is besig om teIn the Middle of Doing: Besig Om Te
Another way to say that an action is in progress.
Level 2 - One Verb Form for Everyone
The plain present already covers is doing in most sentences.
Level 1 - het gaan/kom + InfinitiveWent and Did: Het Gaan Swem
Another pair of verbs that work as one unit.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice sit/staan/lê en + Verb in Bubblegum
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