wil hê ... moet

Wanting Someone to Do Something

Level 3

To want someone else to do something, use wil hê + a clause with moet: Ek wil hê jy moet kom. (I want you to come.)

How It Works

1. The pattern. After wil hê comes the other person and what they should do, usually with moet:

  • Ek wil hê jy moet kom. (I want you to come.)
  • Sy wil hê ons moet vroeg ry. (She wants us to leave early.)

2. Not word for word from English. You cannot say Ek wil jou kom for I want you to come. The other person is the subject of a new clause, so use jy or hy, not jou or hom.

3. With dat. You can add dat. Then the verbs move to the end of the clause: Ek wil hê dat jy vroeg moet kom. Without dat, the clause keeps normal order: Ek wil hê jy moet vroeg kom. Both mean I want you to come early.

4. Questions. A very common question puts wat first: Wat wil jy hê moet ek doen? (What do you want me to do?)

5. Negative. Put nie after wil and the second nie at the very end: Ma wil nie hê ons moet laat uitbly nie. (Mom doesn't want us to stay out late.)

Tip: for things, not actions, use wil ... hê with the thing in between: Ek wil 'n koppie koffie hê.

Examples (5)

  1. Ek wil hê jy moet kom.

    I want you to come.

    Word by Word: I want have you must come.

  2. Sy wil hê ons moet vroeg ry.

    She wants us to leave early.

    Word by Word: She wants have we must early ride.

  3. Wat wil jy hê moet ek doen?

    What do you want me to do?

    Word by Word: What want you have must I do?

    A very common question form.

  4. Ma wil nie hê ons moet laat uitbly nie.

    Mom doesn't want us to stay out late.

    Word by Word: Mom wants not have we must late out-stay not.

  5. Die onderwyser wil hê dat ons elke dag moet lees.

    The teacher wants us to read every day.

    Word by Word: The teacher wants have that we every day must read.

    With dat, the verbs moet lees go to the end.

Common Mistakes

  • Copying the English I want you to.

    Ek wil jou kom.
    Ek wil hê jy moet kom.

    Afrikaans needs wil hê + a new clause. The other person is its subject: jy, not jou.

  • Leaving out hê.

    Ek wil jy moet kom.
    Ek wil hê jy moet kom.

    Wil alone takes an infinitive. To add a whole clause about someone else, use wil hê.

  • Using om te as in English.

    Ek wil jou om te kom.
    Ek wil hê jy moet kom.

    Om te cannot bring in another person as the doer. Use wil hê and a clause with its own subject and moet.

How It Connects

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

wil hê ... moetLevel 3Wanting Someone to Do Something

Learn This First

Wanting someone to do something uses wil hê and moet.

Words in This Pattern

wilhêmoet