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Prepositions

Step 1: Learn prepositions in the vocabulary section
Vocabulary > Grammar Related > Prepositions

Step 2: Learn the VERB-PROPOSITION usage
Vocabulary > Grammar Related > Prepositions > Prep + Verbs

Step 3: Test your knowledge
Vocabulary > Grammar Related > Prepositions > Prep + Verbs (Learn)

Step 4: Watch the movies to advance your skills
Vocabulary > Grammar Related > Prepositions > Learn (Movie)

Verbs often need a preposition.
You would not say, "I talk you" but "I talk to you."  
Here are some valuable pairs of verb-preposition combinations.

MET:

Ons praat met die joernalis. — We speak with the journalist.

VIR:

Ek gee altyd my geld vir hom. — I always give my money to him.
Sê vir Karel ek is siek. — Tell Carl I am ill.
Vra vir hom of hy wil kom. — Ask him if he wants to come.

AAN:

Stuur die pakkie aan jou ouers. — Send the parcel to your parents.
Jou meisie dink aan jou. — think about -- Your girlfriend thinks about you.
My suster skryf aan my. — My sister writes to me.
Hy behoortaan ons klub. — He belongs to our club.
Hy sal aan die gesprek deelneem. — He will participate in the discussion.
Hy het my aan sy ma voorgestel. — He introduced me to his mother.

NA:

Ons kyk na 'n fliek. — We look at a movie.
Hulle luister na die toespraak. —They listen to the speech.
Hy aard na sy pa. — He takes after his dad.
Hy lyk na 'n moeilike mens. — He looks like a difficult guy.

BY:

Ek werk by die bank. — I work at the bank.
Ek sit by die huis. — I sit at home.
Staan by die deur. — Stand by the door.
Hy bedel kos by sy kamermaats. — He begs food from his room mates.

SOOS:

Hy lyk soos my pa. — He looks like my dad.

Note: LYK SOOS is used to compare and LYK NA is used to predict.

Prepositions (Reference/Advanced)

AAN

Level 1: dink (think), gee (to give), ly (to suffers from), sit [tafel] (to be seated), skryf (to write)
Level 2: deelneem (to participate), is gewoond (to be used to),  glo (to believe), hang (to hang on),  is verloof (to be engaged)

BY

Level 1: kom (to come), koop (to buy), kuier (to visit for a chat)
Level 2: Aankom (to arrive),

IN

Level 1: sit e.g. Ek sit in die kamer.
Level 2: stel belang (to be interested in)

MET

Level 1: praat (to talk to), gooi (to thow)
Level 2: spot (to tease, mock), is tevrede (to be satisfied), trou (to get married)

NA

Level 1: kyk (to look at), lyk (to look – as in appearance), luister (to listen), roep (to call), skiet (to shoot), soek (to look for), vra (to ask),
Level 2: Aard (to behave like), verlang (to miss, long for), verwys (to refer to), vry (to court)

OM

Level 1: vra [hulp] (ask for)
Level 2:

OOR

Level 1: baklei (to argue, to fight), kla (to complain, whine), praat (to talk), skryf (to write)
Level 2: is bekommerd (to be worried about), skaam [my] (to be ashamed of), stry (to debate, argue), treur (to mourn), is verbaas (to be surprised)

OP

Level 1: is verlief (to be in love with), is jaloers (to be jealous of), skiet (to shoot at),
Level 2: ingaan (to investigate)

VAN

Level 1: hou (to like), sterf (to die from)
Level 2: afsien (to let go of), genees (to be healed), verskil (to differ), voorsien (to provide)

VIR

Level 1: is bang (to be scared of), is kwaad (to be angry at), is lief (to love)
Level 2: omgee (to care about), oppas (to watch out for), skrik (to get a fright), vererg my (to become enraged)

Prepositional Idioms

Verbs often need a preposition. You would not say, "I talk you" but "I talk to you."
Here are some valuable pairs of verb-preposition combinations.

praat met -- Ons praat met die joernalis.
speak with -- We speak with the journalist.

gee vir -- Ek gee altyd my geld vir hom.
give to -- I always give my money to him.

sê vir -- Sê vir Karel ek is siek.
tell     -- Tell Carl I am ill.

vra vir -- Vra vir hom of hy wil kom.
ask -- Ask him if he wants to come.

stuur aan -- Stuur die pakkie aan jou ouers.
send to -- Send the parcel to your parents.

dink aan -- Jou meisie dink aan jou.
think about -- Your girlfriend thinks about you.

skryf aan -- My suster skryf aan my.
write to -- My sister writes to me.

behoort aan -- Hy behoort ook aan ons klub.
belong to -- He also belongs to our club.

deelneem aan -- Hy neem deel aan die gesprek.
participate in -- He participates in the discussion.

voorstel aan -- Hy het my aan sy ma voorgestel.
introduce to -- He introduced me to his mother.

kyk na -- Ons kyk na 'n fliek.
look at -- We look at a movie.

luister na -- Hulle luister na die toespraak.
listen to -- They listen to the speech.

aard na -- Hy aard na sy pa.
act like -- He takes after his dad.

lyk na -- Hy lyk na 'n moeilike mens.
look like -- He looks like a difficult guy.

lyk soos -- Hy lyk soos my pa.
look like -- He looks like my dad.

LYK SOOS is used comparatively and LYK NA is used predictively.

Prepositionals -Voorsetsel Oefeninge

FILL IN THE GAPS:

1. Praat ______ my.
2. Ek sing ______ sy troue.
3. Ek dink ______ my kinders.
4. Ek het 'n twee karaat diamant ______ haar gegee.
5. Hy lyk ______ my ou kamermaat.
6. Okkert luister ______ die radio.
7. Al daardie boeke behoort ______ my pa.
8. Moenie ______ die vlam kyk nie!
9. BYU sal ____ die spele deelneem.
10. Hoekom skryf jy nie ______ hom nie?
11. Jy moet ______ jou ouers vra.
12. Ek is baie dankbaar ______ hierdie geleentheid.
13. hoekom wil hy nie ______ my praat nie?
14. Hy wil nie ______ ons luister nie.
15. Ons is moeg ______ al sy probleme.
16. Dit lyk ______ 'n lekker dag.
17. Sy lyk ______ 'n vriendelike meisie.
18. Vir my lyk dit ______ 'n olifant.
19. Nee! Nee! Dit lyk ______ groot!
20. Ek is bekommerd ______ jou gesondheid.
21. Is hy nog kwaad _____ jou?
22. Ek is dankbaar ______ mense soos julle.
23. Sy het my ______ haar ouers voorgestel.
24. Ek is siek en sat ______ die slegte weer.
25. Jy lyk ______ my kamermaat.
26. Ek moet dadelik ______ haar praat.
27. Gee ______ my die boek, asseblief.
28. Sy wil nie _____ my skryf nie.
29. Waarom moet ek ______ hom luister?
30. Stuur asseblief hierdie brief _____ hom.

Click or copy the text of this line to Notepad for the answers of the 30 sentences above.