Ons wend muurverf aan sonder dat ons dit mors.

Because aanwend is a separable verb in Afrikaans.

• aanwend = to apply / to use
• In a main clause, the two parts split:
  • Ons wend muurverf aan.
• In forms like the infinitive or past participle, they can stay together:
  • om muurverf aan te wend
  • aangewend

This is similar to separable verbs in Dutch and a bit like phrasal verbs in English.

Muurverf is a compound noun:

• muur = wall
• verf = paint

So muurverf means wall paint. Afrikaans often joins nouns together into one word, just like German and Dutch do.

Other examples:

• huisdeur = house door / front door
• kombuiskas = kitchen cupboard

Sonder dat means without (the fact that) or more naturally just without when it introduces a full clause.

So:

• sonder dat ons dit mors = without us spilling it

It is used when Afrikaans follows sonder with a clause that has its own subject and verb.

Structure:

• sonder dat + subject + ... + verb

That is why you get:

• sonder dat ons dit mors

Because sonder dat introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses usually send the finite verb to the end.

Compare:

• Main clause: Ons mors dit.
• Subordinate clause: ... dat ons dit mors.

So in the sentence:

• Ons wend muurverf aan sonder dat ons dit mors.

the part after dat follows subordinate-clause word order.

Afrikaans often uses a full clause after sonder dat, so the subject must be stated again:

• sonder dat ons dit mors

English can often shorten this to a non-finite phrase:

• without spilling it

Afrikaans can also do something similar in some cases, but with sonder dat, repeating the subject is normal because it is a full clause.

Dit refers back to muurverf.

So:

• muurverf = the wall paint
• dit = it

Afrikaans uses dit here the same way English uses it, to avoid repeating the noun.

Mors can mean:

• to spill
• to make a mess with
• to waste

In this sentence, the most natural meaning is:

• to spill it
• or to get it all over the place

So sonder dat ons dit mors means something like without spilling it or without making a mess with it.

Yes, that is a very natural alternative, especially when the subject is the same.

For example:

• Ons wend muurverf aan sonder om dit te mors.

This also means We apply wall paint without spilling it.

A rough difference:

• sonder dat ons dit mors = uses a full clause
• sonder om dit te mors = uses an infinitive-style structure

Both are grammatical. The sonder om ... te ... version may sound a bit more streamlined in everyday speech when the subject stays the same.

It is understandable and correct, but it can sound a little more formal or technical than some everyday alternatives.

Possible choices:

• muurverf aanwend = apply wall paint
• verf aanbring = apply paint
• ’n muur verf = paint a wall

So the sentence is fine, but in very everyday Afrikaans, people might often choose a simpler wording depending on context.

It is in the present tense:

• Ons wend ... aan = We apply / We are applying
• ons dit mors = we spill it

As in English, the exact time can depend on context. It could describe:

• a general habit
• an instruction
• something happening now

Yes, if the context already makes it clear what kind of paint is meant.

For example:

• Ons wend verf aan sonder dat ons dit mors.

That would mean We apply paint without spilling it.

Using muurverf is just more specific.

A close structural translation would be:

• We apply wall paint without our spilling it.

That sounds awkward in normal English, so natural English would instead be:

• We apply wall paint without spilling it.
• We apply wall paint without making a mess.

This is a good example of how Afrikaans may use a full clause where English often prefers a shorter -ing form.