wat/wie
What and Who
Use wat for things and actions and wie for people: Wat is dit? (What is it?), Wie is dit? (Who is it?)
How It Works
Wat asks about things, ideas and actions. Wie asks about people.
- Wat is dit? (What is that?)
- Wat doen jy? (What are you doing?)
- Wie is dit? (Who is that?)
- Wie is hulle? (Who are they?)
Same form for subject and object. Wie can be the one doing something or the one it happens to, and it does not change: Wie bel jou? (Who is calling you?). English sometimes uses whom; Afrikaans does not. With people as objects, Afrikaans often adds vir: Vir wie soek jy? (Who are you looking for?). See vir before a person.
Word order. The question word comes first and the verb second: see questions with a question word. When wat or wie is the subject, the verb follows it directly: Wie praat daar?
After a preposition, a person is asked about with the preposition + wie: Met wie gaan jy? (Who are you going with?). For things, Afrikaans usually joins waar and the preposition: Waaroor praat julle? (What are you talking about?). See waarmee and daarmee.
Names. To ask someone's name, say Wat is jou naam? (What is your name?). Before a noun, what is watter (which), not wat. Whose is wie se: Wie se boek is dit?
Examples (6)
- Wat is dit?
What is that?
Word by Word: What is it?
- Wat doen jy?
What are you doing?
Word by Word: What do you?
- Wie is dit?
Who is that?
Word by Word: Who is it?
- Wie praat daar?
Who is talking there?
Word by Word: Who talks there?
Wie is the subject, so the verb follows it directly.
- Vir wie wag jy?
Who are you waiting for?
Word by Word: For whom wait you?
Wag vir means wait for, and vir goes in front of wie.
- Wat is jou naam?
What is your name?
Word by Word: What is your name?
Common Mistakes
Leaving the preposition at the end, as in English.
Wie praat jy met?Met wie praat jy?In Afrikaans the preposition goes in front of wie at the start of the question. English puts with at the end, but Afrikaans does not.
Using wat directly before a noun.
Wat boek lees jy?Watter boek lees jy?Before a noun, what or which is watter. Use wat on its own.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Wat and wie are question words that use question word order.
Related Patterns
- watterWhich
Before a noun, use watter instead of wat.
Level 1 - wie seWhose: Wie Se
Wie se turns who into whose.
Level 3 - Preposition + wieRelative Wie After a Preposition
The same preposition + wie pattern starts relative clauses about people.
Level 3 - wat (Relative)Relative Wat
Wat also joins clauses, meaning who, which or that.
Level 3 - vir + PersonVir Before a Person
People as objects often take vir, as in Vir wie soek jy?
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice wat/wie in Bubblegum
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