Die kinders beskerm hulself.

No. In Afrikaans, die is used for both singular and plural definite nouns.

So:

• die kind = the child
• die kinders = the children

Unlike some languages, Afrikaans does not have separate words for singular the and plural the.

The singular noun is kind. Its plural is kinders.

So:

• kind = child
• kinders = children

This is just the normal plural form you need to learn with this noun. English speakers often notice that Afrikaans does not use a completely different word like English child / children.

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change form for person or number in the present tense.

So you get:

• Ek beskerm
• Jy beskerm
• Die kind beskerm
• Die kinders beskerm

This is simpler than English, where you have protect but protects.

Afrikaans often does not use a separate helper verb in sentences like this. A simple present-tense verb can cover both:

• The children protect themselves
• The children are protecting themselves

So Die kinders beskerm hulself can mean either one, depending on context.

It can mean either, depending on context.

It may mean:

• a general/habitual action: The children protect themselves
• an action happening now: The children are protecting themselves

Afrikaans often leaves that distinction to the situation or surrounding words.

Hulself is a reflexive pronoun meaning themselves.

A reflexive pronoun shows that the action goes back to the subject. So the children are protecting their own selves, not someone else.

That is why hulself is important here.

Because hulself specifically gives the reflexive meaning themselves.

Compare:

• Die kinders beskerm hulle.
  This usually means The children protect them — some other people.

• Die kinders beskerm hulself.
  This means The children protect themselves.

So hulself removes the ambiguity.

Because that is the standard Afrikaans spelling of this reflexive pronoun.

You should learn hulself as a fixed form meaning themselves. It functions as one unit in the sentence, not as two separate words.

No. This is the normal Afrikaans main-clause order:

• Die kinders = subject
• beskerm = verb
• hulself = object/reflexive pronoun

So the pattern is simply:

subject + verb + object

That is very similar to English.

You would use the singular noun kind and a singular reflexive pronoun:

• Die kind beskerm homself. = The child protects himself.
• Die kind beskerm haarself. = The child protects herself.

Notice that beskerm stays the same. Only the noun and reflexive pronoun change.