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Interrogative pronouns of time, manner, reason and place
quickinfo

The following table presents interrogative pronouns of time, manner, reason, place, and amount:

Table 1
Interrogative
Time wanneer when
Manner hoe howhoedanig in what manner
Reason waarom whyhoekom why
Place waar where
Amount hoeveel how much

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There are two interrogative pronouns of reason, hoekom why (1a-b) and waarom why (1c-d). There are no obvious differences between the two terms.

1
a. Hoekom is hierdie dag belangrik?
why be.PRS this day important
Why is this day important?
VivA-KPO
b. Hoekom bewe my hond?
why shiver my dog
Why is my dog shivering?
VivA-KPO
c. Waarom vra jy my naam?
why ask you.SG my name
Why do you ask my name?
VivA-KPO
d. Laat haar staan; waarom val julle haar lastig?
let her stand why fall you.PL her bother
Leave her alone; why are you bothering her?
VivA-KPO

The most frequently used interrogative of manner is hoe how (2a-b), although the longer form hoedanig in what manner (2c) is occasionally used as well.

2
a. Hoe doen 'n mens aansoek?
how do a human apply
How does one apply?
VivA-KPO
b. Vir hoe lank moet die medikasie geneem word?
for how long must.AUX.MOD the medication take.PASS become.AUX.PASS.PRS
For how long should the medication be taken?
VivA-KPO
c. En hoedanig sien julle dit nou?
and how see you.PL it now
And in which way do you see it now?
VivA-KPO

In terms of amount, there is the option to use hoe and the quantifier baie much / many / lots (3a), but a more frequently used option is the merged form hoeveel how much / many (3b).

3
a. Olivia, hoe baie hou jy van mode?
Olivia how much like you.SG of fashion
Olivia, how much do you like fashion?
VivA-KPO
b. Hoeveel is die subsidie werd?
how.much be.PRS the subsidy worth
How much is the subsidy worth?
VivA-KPO

The interrogative of time is wanneer when (4).

4
a. Wanneer kan ek my rekening verwag?
when can.AUX.MOD I my bill expect
When can I expect my bill?
VivA-KPO
b. En wanneer is die boek nou weer geskryf?
and when be.AUX.PASS.PST the book now again write.PASS
And when was the book written again?
VivA-KPO

The word waar where is used as an interrogative of place (5), and it can be used in a more abstract sense of place (5b and 6b) not only in a concrete sense (5a).

5
a. Goed, en waar is u voertuig toe?
good and where be.PRS your.HON vehicle then
Okay, and where was your vehicle then?
VivA-KPO
b. Waar begin 'n mens dan?
where begin a human then
Where does one start, then?
VivA-KPO

These interrogatives can also be premodified (6a-b) and postmodified (6c-d), similar to the other interrogative pronouns.

6
a. Maar presies wanneer verander misbruik in verslawing?
but exactly when change misuse in addiction
But exactly when does misuse turn into addiction?
VivA-KPO
b. Presies waar lê die onderskeid tussen feit en fiksie?
exactly where lie the distinction between fact and fiction
Exactly where is the distinction between fact and fiction?
VivA-KPO
c. Wanneer presies was dit?
when exactly be.PRT it
When exactly was this?
VivA-KPO
d. Waar presies het ons dit verloor?
where exactly have.AUX we it lose.PST
Where exactly did we lose it?
VivA-KPO
References
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