Ons gee voor dat die verskoning goed is.

The dictionary form is voorgee, but it is a separable verb.

In a normal main clause, the finite verb comes early and the prefix moves to the end:

• Ons gee voor

In other forms, it comes back together:

• om voor te gee = to pretend
• het voorgegee = pretended

So this split is normal Afrikaans grammar, not a typo.

If you look at the parts separately, yes, but you should not translate it word for word.

As a whole, voorgee is an idiomatic verb meaning things like:

• pretend
• feign
• sometimes claim falsely

So it is best to learn voorgee / gee voor as one unit.

Because dat introduces a subordinate clause.

In Afrikaans, the finite verb usually goes to the end of a subordinate clause:

• Main clause: Die verskoning is goed
• Subordinate clause: dat die verskoning goed is

This is very common in Afrikaans and will happen with many other verbs too.

Verskoning can mean either excuse or apology, depending on context.

In this sentence, excuse is probably the intended meaning, because pretending that the excuse is good sounds more natural than pretending that the apology is good.

So the word itself can cover both ideas, and context tells you which one is meant.

Because goed comes after is, so it is a predicative adjective.

After a linking verb like is, Afrikaans uses the basic adjective form:

• Die verskoning is goed = The excuse is good

Before a noun, you normally use the attributive form:

• 'n goeie verskoning = a good excuse

So:

• after is → goed
• before verskoning → goeie

Here, die is the definite article, so it means the.

So:

• die verskoning = the excuse

A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans uses die for both singular and plural:

• die verskoning = the excuse
• die verskonings = the excuses

Context tells you whether it is singular or plural.

In Afrikaans, present-tense verbs usually do not change much for person or number.

So you get:

• ek gee
• jy gee
• ons gee
• hulle gee

That is much simpler than English, where you have I give but he gives. Afrikaans mostly keeps the same verb form.

Yes. Maak asof is another very common way to say pretend.

You could say:

• Ons maak asof die verskoning goed is.

That is very natural Afrikaans.

A rough difference is:

• voorgee can feel like pretend / claim falsely / feign
• maak asof is more directly act as if

Both are useful, and both can fit this idea.

Afrikaans normally uses double negation.

To negate the whole main idea, you can say:

• Ons gee nie voor dat die verskoning goed is nie.
• We do not pretend that the excuse is good.

If you want to keep pretend positive but negate the embedded statement, you say:

• Ons gee voor dat die verskoning nie goed is nie.
• We pretend that the excuse is not good.

So the placement of nie changes the meaning.

A natural past-tense version is:

• Ons het voorgegee dat die verskoning goed was.

Notice two things:

• gee voor becomes het voorgegee
• is often becomes was if the whole situation is in the past

So the separable verb joins back together in the past participle:

• voorgegee