Die terugstuurkoste is hoog.

Die means the.

A useful difference from English is that Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for all genders, and also for both singular and plural nouns. So you do not have to learn separate forms like the for different noun types.

Also, Afrikaans die is pronounced roughly like dee, not like the English verb die.

Because Afrikaans very often forms compound nouns by joining words together.

So instead of writing something like return shipping costs as separate words, Afrikaans commonly creates one long noun:

terug + stuur + koste = terugstuurkoste

This is completely normal in Afrikaans, and native speakers are used to reading long compounds.

You can break it down like this:

• terug = back
• stuur = send
• koste = cost / costs / expenses

Together, terugstuurkoste means something like:

• return costs
• the cost of sending something back
• return shipping costs

In Afrikaans compounds, the last part is usually the main noun. Here, the core idea is koste.

Originally, yes: terugstuur is a verb meaning to send back.

But in this sentence, it is not acting as the main verb. Instead, it is part of the compound noun terugstuurkoste.

Compare:

• Ek stuur dit terug. = I send it back.
• Die terugstuurkoste is hoog. = The return costs are high.

So the idea send back has been built into the noun.

Is is the present-tense form of wees meaning to be.

So the sentence structure is:

• Die terugstuurkoste = the return costs
• is = are / is
• hoog = high

A key point for learners: in the present tense, Afrikaans uses is for all persons and numbers:

• ek is
• jy is
• hy/sy is
• ons is
• julle is
• hulle is

So even if English uses are, Afrikaans still uses is.

Because hoog comes after the verb is and is being used as a predicate adjective.

In Afrikaans, adjectives after a linking verb usually stay in their basic form:

• Die terugstuurkoste is hoog.

But when the adjective comes before a noun, it often changes form:

• die hoë terugstuurkoste = the high return costs

So:

• after is → hoog
• before a noun → hoë

Koste often refers to costs/expenses in a general sense, and English may translate it as either cost or costs, depending on context.

So this sentence could be understood as:

• The return shipping costs are high or
• The cost of returning it is high

Afrikaans often leaves this a little broader than English does. The context usually makes the intended meaning clear.

The sentence follows a very common Afrikaans pattern:

subject + verb + complement

So here you have:

• Die terugstuurkoste = subject
• is = verb
• hoog = complement / adjective

This is very similar to English:

• The return costs are high

It is a simple main clause, so the word order is straightforward.

Yes. A more unpacked version would be:

Die koste om dit terug te stuur is hoog.

That means The cost of sending it back is high.

The original sentence, Die terugstuurkoste is hoog, is more compact and sounds very natural in places like:

• online shops
• return policies
• customer-service messages
• product information

No. Unlike German, Afrikaans does not capitalize all nouns.

So in this sentence:

• Die is capitalized only because it starts the sentence
• terugstuurkoste is lowercase
• hoog is lowercase

If the sentence appeared in the middle of a paragraph, die would also be lowercase.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

• Die ≈ dee
• terug has a guttural g sound made in the throat
• stuur has a vowel that does not exist in standard English; it is closer to the ü sound in German
• hoog has a long o sound and ends with the same guttural g

So the main pronunciation challenge for English speakers is usually the Afrikaans g and the vowel in stuur.

If you cannot pronounce them perfectly at first, that is normal. Clear rhythm and correct word order matter more in the beginning.