Die basiliekruid ruik vars.

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the. Afrikaans uses die for singular and plural nouns, and it does not change for gender.

So in Die basiliekruid, die means the.

Examples:

• die kat = the cat
• die kinders = the children

Basiliekruid is a noun, and it is a compound word. Afrikaans often combines words into one longer noun.

Here, it is built from:

• basilie = basil
• kruid = herb

So basiliekruid literally means basil herb, but in normal English we would usually just say basil.

Afrikaans verbs are much simpler than English verbs. In the present tense, the verb usually stays the same regardless of the subject.

So you get:

• Ek ruik = I smell
• Jy ruik = you smell
• Die basiliekruid ruik = the basil smells

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not usually add -s for he/she/it in the present tense.

Here ruik means smells in the sense of has a smell or gives off a smell.

That is different from:

• Ek ruik die blom = I smell the flower
  Here it means I detect the smell
• Die blom ruik lekker = The flower smells nice
  Here it means the flower has a nice smell

So in your sentence, ruik is being used in the second way.

Because vars is describing the subject through the verb ruik. In English, this works the same way:

• The basil smells fresh

Here, fresh is not directly before basil. Instead, it comes after the verb and describes the basil.

In Afrikaans, vars is a predicate adjective here, not an adjective directly in front of the noun.

Compare:

• die vars basiliekruid = the fresh basil
• Die basiliekruid ruik vars = the basil smells fresh

Because vars is being used predicatively, after the verb ruik. In that position, Afrikaans adjectives usually stay in their basic form.

So:

• Die basiliekruid ruik vars = predicate use

But when an adjective comes directly before a noun, it often takes -e:

• die vars(e) basiliekruid

In practice, adjective endings in Afrikaans can be tricky, but the key point here is that after ruik, vars stays plain.

No, this is the normal main-clause word order in Afrikaans:

Subject + verb + complement

So:

• Die basiliekruid = subject
• ruik = verb
• vars = complement

This is very similar to English:

• The basil smells fresh

You usually would not do that in a normal sentence like this unless you are speaking very generally or using a headline-like style.

Die basiliekruid ruik vars sounds like you are talking about a particular basil plant or the basil in front of you.

Without die, it can sound less natural in ordinary conversation, depending on context.

Afrikaans normally uses a double negative with nie ... nie.

So:

• Die basiliekruid ruik nie vars nie.
  = The basil does not smell fresh.

The pattern is:

• first nie after the verb or later in the clause
• second nie at the end

In a yes/no question, Afrikaans usually puts the verb first:

• Ruik die basiliekruid vars?
  = Does the basil smell fresh?

That inversion is very common in Afrikaans main-clause questions.

A rough guide is rayk or rake, but not exactly like either English word. The ui sound in Afrikaans is one of the sounds English speakers often need to practise.

A very rough breakdown:

• r = rolled or tapped lightly, depending on accent
• ui = a distinct Afrikaans diphthong
• k = clear k

If you want to sound natural, the ui is the main part to focus on.

It is literal. Ruik vars means something like smells fresh in the real, physical sense.

It is similar to:

• Die brood ruik heerlik. = The bread smells wonderful.
• Die melk ruik suur. = The milk smells sour.

So this is a very normal sensory description.