deur

Through

Level 2

Deur = through: Ons stap deur die park. (We walk through the park.) In the passive it means by: Die brief is deur my ma geskryf. (The letter was written by my mom.)

How It Works

1. Through a place or opening. Ons ry deur die dorp. (We drive through the town.) Sy kyk deur die venster. (She looks through the window.)

2. By in the passive. The doer of a passive action comes after deur: Die huis word deur my pa gebou. (The house is being built by my dad.) Die boek is deur 'n kind geskryf. (The book was written by a child.) See the passive with word and the past passive with is.

3. By doing something. deur ... te + verb explains how: Hy het Afrikaans geleer deur baie te lees. (He learned Afrikaans by reading a lot.)

4. By bus, by car. For transport, Afrikaans uses met, not deur: met die bus (by bus).

Tip: deur is also the noun door: Maak die deur toe. (Close the door.) So Hy loop deur die deur means he walks through the door.

Examples (6)

  1. Ons stap deur die park.

    We walk through the park.

    Word by Word: We walk through the park.

  2. Die kat spring deur die venster.

    The cat jumps through the window.

    Word by Word: The cat jumps through the window.

  3. Die brief is deur my ouma geskryf.

    The letter was written by my grandmother.

    Word by Word: The letter is by my granny written.

    In the passive, deur names who did the action.

  4. Hy het Afrikaans geleer deur baie te lees.

    He learned Afrikaans by reading a lot.

    Word by Word: He has Afrikaans learned by much to read.

    Deur ... te + verb means by doing something.

  5. Hy loop deur die deur.

    He walks through the door.

    Word by Word: He walks through the door.

    The first deur is the preposition through; the second is the noun door.

  6. Die water loop deur die pyp.

    The water runs through the pipe.

    Word by Word: The water runs through the pipe.

Common Mistakes

  • Using by for the doer in the passive.

    Die brief is by my ouma geskryf.
    Die brief is deur my ouma geskryf.

    Afrikaans by means at or near. The doer of a passive action comes after deur.

  • Using deur for a way of travelling.

    Ek gaan deur die bus werk toe.
    Ek gaan met die bus werk toe.

    English by bus becomes met die bus. Deur die bus would mean through the bus.

How It Connects

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

deurLevel 2Through

Learn This First

Deur means through and later marks the doer in the passive.

Words in This Pattern

deurdeur