sodat

So That

Level 3

Sodat means so that. The verbs go to the end: Praat harder sodat ek jou kan hoor. (Speak louder so that I can hear you.)

How It Works

1. The verb goes to the end. After sodat, the verb of the clause stands last (see verb at the end). With a modal, the modal comes just before the infinitive (see verbs together at the end):

  • Praat harder sodat ek jou kan hoor. (Speak louder so that I can hear you.)
  • Maak die venster oop sodat die kamer koel bly. (Open the window so that the room stays cool.)

2. Purpose. Sodat often says what someone wants to happen: Sy het Afrikaans geleer sodat sy met haar skoonma kon praat. (She learned Afrikaans so that she could talk with her mother-in-law.)

3. Result. Sodat can also say what happened as a result: Dit het die hele dag gereën, sodat ons nie kon gaan stap nie. (It rained all day, so we couldn't go for a walk.)

4. Sodat or om te? When the doer stays the same, om ... te is usually shorter: Ek staan vroeg op om betyds te wees. (I get up early to be on time.) When the doer changes, you need sodat: Ek maak die deur oop sodat die kat kan inkom. (I open the door so that the cat can come in.)

Tip: Sodat is one word. Do not mix it up with so ... dat, where so goes with an adjective: Dit was so warm dat ons gaan swem het. (It was so hot that we went swimming.)

Examples (6)

  1. Praat harder sodat ek jou kan hoor.

    Speak louder so that I can hear you.

    Word by Word: Speak harder so-that I you can hear.

    The modal kan comes just before the infinitive hoor at the end.

  2. Ek staan vroeg op sodat ek nie laat is nie.

    I get up early so that I'm not late.

    Word by Word: I stand early up so-that I not late am not.

  3. Sy het Afrikaans geleer sodat sy met haar skoonma kon praat.

    She learned Afrikaans so that she could talk with her mother-in-law.

    Word by Word: She has Afrikaans learned so-that she with her mother-in-law could talk.

  4. Maak die venster oop sodat die kamer koel bly.

    Open the window so that the room stays cool.

    Word by Word: Make the window open so-that the room cool stays.

  5. Dit het die hele dag gereën, sodat ons nie kon gaan stap nie.

    It rained all day, so we couldn't go for a walk.

    Word by Word: It has the whole day rained, so-that we not could go walk not.

    Here sodat shows a result, not a purpose.

  6. Ek maak die deur oop sodat die kat kan inkom.

    I open the door so that the cat can come in.

    Word by Word: I make the door open so-that the cat can in-come.

    The doer changes from ek to die kat, so sodat is needed instead of om te.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the verb in second place after sodat.

    Praat harder sodat ek kan jou hoor.
    Praat harder sodat ek jou kan hoor.

    Sodat sends the verbs to the end of its clause, so kan and hoor stand together after jou.

  • Using om te when the doer changes.

    Ek maak die deur oop om die kat in te kom.
    Ek maak die deur oop sodat die kat kan inkom.

    Om te only works when the same person does both actions. Here I open the door and the cat comes in, so use sodat.

How It Connects

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

sodatLevel 3So That

Learn This First

Sodat starts a subordinate clause, so its verbs go to the end.

Words in This Pattern

sodat