van ... af/na ... toe

Van ... Af and Na ... Toe

Level 3

Put af or toe after the noun to finish the phrase: van die tafel af (off the table), na die winkel toe (to the shop).

How It Works

1. Van ... af: off, from ... on.

  • Place: Die kat spring van die tafel af. (The cat jumps off the table.)
  • Time: Van Maandag af werk ek by die bank. (From Monday on, I'm working at the bank.) Van nou af means from now on.

Compare die koerant van Maandag (Monday's newspaper). Without af, van just means of or from.

2. Na ... toe: to a place. Ek stap na die winkel toe. (I'm walking to the shop.) You can also say it with only na (na die winkel) or with only toe (winkel toe, see noun + toe).

3. Tot ... toe: up to, until. Ek is tot Vrydag toe weg. (I'm away until Friday.) Tot hier toe means up to here. Tot alone also works: tot Vrydag.

4. From ... to. Van and tot can work together: Die winkel is van Maandag tot Saterdag oop. (The shop is open from Monday to Saturday.)

With the ge- form. When af is also part of the verb, it is written together with the ge- form: Die kat het van die dak afgeval. (The cat fell off the roof.) See separable verbs.

Examples (6)

  1. Die kat spring van die tafel af.

    The cat jumps off the table.

    Word by Word: The cat jumps from the table off.

  2. Van Maandag af begin ek 'n nuwe werk.

    I'm starting a new job from Monday.

    Word by Word: From Monday off begin I a new job.

    The whole phrase van Maandag af comes first, so the verb begin follows it.

  3. Ons stap na die park toe.

    We're walking to the park.

    Word by Word: We walk to the park to.

  4. Ek is tot Vrydag toe met verlof.

    I'm on leave until Friday.

    Word by Word: I am until Friday to with leave.

  5. Van nou af gaan ek vroeër slaap.

    From now on, I'm going to bed earlier.

    Word by Word: From now off go I earlier sleep.

  6. Klim asseblief van die muur af!

    Please get off the wall!

    Word by Word: Climb please from the wall off!

Common Mistakes

  • Putting off in front of the noun, as in English.

    Die kat spring af die tafel.
    Die kat spring van die tafel af.

    Afrikaans has no single word for off in front of the noun. Use van before it and af after it.

  • Pairing van with toe.

    Klim asseblief van die muur toe!
    Klim asseblief van die muur af!

    Van pairs with af for getting off or away from a place. Toe marks the place you move towards, as in na die park toe.

How It Connects

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

van ... af/na ... toeLevel 3Van ... Af and Na ... Toe

Learn This First

These pairs frame a place with two words.

Words in This Pattern

vanafnatot