Afrikaans often writes compound nouns as a single word.
So:
This is very common in Afrikaans. If English uses a compound such as bedroom, toothbrush, or keyhole, Afrikaans will often write it as one word too.
Because klein comes after is, where it is used predicatively.
After a linking verb such as is, adjectives normally stay in their basic form:
But before a noun, Afrikaans often uses an adjectival ending:
So:
Afrikaans adjective endings depend on position and noun type, so the form before a noun can sometimes be different, but in this sentence klein stays simple.
No. Afrikaans does not have grammatical gender in the way many European languages do.
That means:
This makes sentences like this easier to build than in some other languages.
Die sleutelgat is nie klein nie.
Afrikaans usually uses a double nie for negation:
So:
This double-negation pattern is one of the most important things to learn in Afrikaans.
A rough English-friendly guide is:
SLAY-tul-khat
A few notes:
So an approximate pronunciation is helpful at first, but listening to native audio is the best way to learn it accurately.