Ons beplan die reis.

Here, ons means we.

A useful extra note: ons can also mean us or our in other contexts, but in this sentence it is the subject, so it clearly means we.

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject the way English verbs sometimes do.

So you get:

• Ek beplan = I plan
• Jy beplan = you plan
• Ons beplan = we plan
• Hulle beplan = they plan

This is one reason many learners find Afrikaans verb forms simpler than English.

Die here means the.

So:

• die reis = the trip / the journey

Unlike some other languages, Afrikaans does not have different words for the depending on gender. Die is used very widely.

Also, die is the same form for singular and plural definite nouns in many cases.

Reis usually means trip, journey, or sometimes travel, depending on context.

In Ons beplan die reis, it most naturally means:

• the trip
• the journey

So the sentence could be understood as We plan the trip or We are planning the journey, depending on the context already given.

This is the normal basic word order for a simple main clause in Afrikaans:

subject + verb + object

So:

• Ons = subject
• beplan = verb
• die reis = object

This is very similar to English We plan the trip.

Afrikaans often looks English-like in simple statements, although word order can change in other structures, especially when another element comes first or in subordinate clauses.

It can often mean both, depending on context.

Afrikaans commonly uses the simple present where English might use either:

• We plan the trip
• We are planning the trip

So Ons beplan die reis can naturally cover both ideas unless the context makes one meaning more specific.

Yes, but it means something slightly different.

• Ons beplan die reis = We are planning the trip
  → a specific trip, already known in the conversation

• Ons beplan 'n reis = We are planning a trip
  → any trip, not yet identified as a specific one

So the difference is the same basic definite vs. indefinite distinction as in English.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

ons buh-PLAHN dee rays

A few helpful pronunciation notes:

• ons: the o is short, a bit like the vowel in English off for many speakers
• beplan: stress is on the second part, -plan
• die is pronounced dee, not like English die
• reis sounds roughly like race or rays, depending on accent

Exact pronunciation varies a little by speaker and region, but this will guide you well.

Yes. Beplan is closely related in meaning to plan, and it means to plan.

The prefix be- appears in many Afrikaans and Dutch-related words. In this case, you should mainly just learn beplan as the normal verb meaning to plan.

So:

• beplan = to plan

You would say:

Ons beplan nie die reis nie.

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

So:

• Ons beplan die reis. = We plan the trip.
• Ons beplan nie die reis nie. = We do not plan the trip / We are not planning the trip.

This double nie pattern is one of the most important features of Afrikaans grammar.

A common way is:

• Past: Ons het die reis beplan. = We planned the trip.
• Future: Ons sal die reis beplan. = We will plan the trip.

So in simple terms:

• het helps form the past
• sal helps form the future

Notice that with het, the main verb typically moves to the end in its past participle form. For beplan, that form is also beplan in this sentence.

It can also be a verb in Afrikaans.

For example:

• Die reis = the trip / the journey
• Ons reis môre = We travel tomorrow

So in your sentence, reis is a noun because it follows die and means the trip. Context and sentence structure show its role clearly.