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Perfect Tenses (all verbs)

REEDS, KLAAR, AL, ALREEDS, ALKLAAR

Use any of these words to indicate the completed action. These words all mean the same thing. Usage is based on personal preference. 

What is a perfect tense?

You already know what a tense is. In a tense you can also specify if something is, was, or will be completed. A perfect tense underlines completion.

Consider: "He spoke to the president." and "He had spoken to the president."

This perfect tense can be in past, present or future in English. E.g. He had spoken ...   He has spoken ....  AND He will have spoken ...

In Afrikaans, we just add one of these magic words, like "already" in any tense to show completion.

Past Perfect:      Hy het alreeds met die president gepraat.
Present Perfect: Hy praat alreeds met die president.
Future Perfect:  Hy sal alreeds met die president gepraat het.

Note: *I use ALREEDS, but you could use AL,  ALKLAAR, REEDS or KLAAR. They all work.

B1 - VERBS: WEES & Hê (Conjugated by tense)

Present: Ek is by die bank. Ek het baie geld.

Present Perfect: Ek is alreeds by die bank. Ek het alreeds baie geld.
Past Perfect:      Ek was alreeds by die bank gewees. Ek het alreeds baie geld gehad.
Future Perfect:  Ek sal alreeds by die bank gewees het. Ek sal alreeds baie geld gehad het.

B2 - ROOT VERBS (regular)

Present: Ek werk by die bank.

Present Perfect: Ek werk alreeds by die bank.
Past Perfect:      Ek het alreeds by die bank gewerk.
Future Perfect:  Ek sal alreeds by die bank gewerk het.

B2 - PREFIXED/INSEPARABLE VERBS (regular)

Present: Ek verkoop die boek.  Die president mislei die publiek.

Present Perfect: Ek verkoop alreeds die boek.  Die president mislei alreeds die publiek.
Past Perfect:      Ek het alreeds die boek verkoop.  Die president het alreeds die publiek mislei.
Future Perfect:  Ek sal alreeds die boek verkoop het. Die president sal alreeds die publiek mislei het.

B3 - SEPARABLE VERBS

Present: Ek sit die boek weg.

Present Perfect: Ek sit alreeds die boek weg.
Past Perfect:      Ek het alreeds die boek weggesit.
Future Perfect:  Ek sal alreeds die boek weggesit het.

B4 - REFLEXIVE VERBS

Present: Ek verslaap my.

Present Perfect: Ek verslaap my alreeds.
Past Perfect:      Ek het my alreeds verslaap.
Future Perfect:  Ek sal my alreeds verslaap het.

[vii] - LINK VERBS  

Present: Ek kom hom sien.

Present Perfect: Ek kom hom alreeds sien.
Past Perfect:      Ek het hom alreeds kom sien.
Future Perfect:  Ek sal hom alreeds kom sien het.