wie/wat ook al
Whoever and Whatever
Question word + subject + ook al + verb at the end: Wat jy ook al doen, moenie opgee nie. (Whatever you do, don't give up.)
How It Works
1. The forms.
- wie ook al (whoever)
- wat ook al (whatever)
- waar ook al (wherever)
- wanneer ook al (whenever)
- watter ... ook al (whichever)
2. Word order. The question word comes first, then the subject, then ook al, and the verb last: Wat jy ook al doen, ... When the question word is the subject, ook al follows it: Wie ook al kom, is welkom. (Whoever comes is welcome.)
3. The rest of the sentence. Often the clause is simply set in front of a complete sentence, which keeps its normal order: Waar sy ook al gaan, haar hond gaan saam. A command follows naturally too: Wat jy ook al doen, moenie opgee nie. When the clause is the subject itself, the verb follows it: Wie ook al kom, is welkom.
4. Standing alone. In speech wat ook al can stand alone to brush something off: Hy sê hy is besig, of wat ook al. (He says he's busy, or whatever.)
Tip: These are the question words from what and who and where and when. For however with an adjective, see hoe ... ook al.
Examples (5)
- Wat jy ook al doen, moenie opgee nie.
Whatever you do, don't give up.
Word by Word: What you also already do, don't up-give not.
- Wie ook al kom, is welkom.
Whoever comes is welcome.
Word by Word: Who also already comes, is welcome.
Wie is the subject of kom, so ook al follows wie directly.
- Waar sy ook al gaan, haar hond gaan saam.
Wherever she goes, her dog goes along.
Word by Word: Where she also already goes, her dog goes along.
- Wanneer jy ook al kom, die deur is oop.
Whenever you come, the door is open.
Word by Word: When you also already come, the door is open.
- Watter boek jy ook al kies, jy sal dit geniet.
Whichever book you choose, you'll enjoy it.
Word by Word: Which book you also already choose, you will it enjoy.
Common Mistakes
Using question word order inside the ook al clause.
Wat doen jy ook al, moenie opgee nie.Wat jy ook al doen, moenie opgee nie.This is not a question but a subordinate clause, so the subject follows wat and the verb doen goes to the end.
Putting ook al straight after wat, as in English whatever.
Wat ook al jy doen, moenie opgee nie.Wat jy ook al doen, moenie opgee nie.When wat is the object, the subject jy comes before ook al. Ook al follows the question word directly only when that word is the subject, as in Wie ook al kom.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Wie ook al and wat ook al mean whoever and whatever.
Related Patterns
- hoe ... ook alHowever Much: Hoe ... Ook Al
The same ook al pattern with hoe + adjective: however hard, however long.
Level 5 - wat/wieWhat and Who
The question words that form whatever and whoever.
Level 1 - waar/wanneerWhere and When
The question words that form wherever and whenever.
Level 1 - watterWhich
Watter ... ook al means whichever.
Level 1 - enige/enigiets/enigiemandAny: Enige
Enige and enigiets also express any at all, without a clause.
Level 3 - Indirect Questions
Another place where a question word starts a clause with the verb at the end.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice wie/wat ook al in Bubblegum
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