Kommissie word nagegaan, ongeag of dit betaal word.

Here word is not the English noun word. In Afrikaans, word is a verb meaning become, but it is also very commonly used as an auxiliary in the passive.

So in:

Kommissie word nagegaan

the structure is passive and means that the commission is being checked / is checked.

A useful pattern is:

• word + past participle = passive, often present or ongoing/general
• is + past participle = passive with more of a completed/result meaning

So word here helps create is checked rather than meaning becomes in a literal sense.

Because there are really two passive clauses:

1. Kommissie word nagegaan
2. ongeag of dit betaal word

In English, that is roughly:

1. Commission is checked
2. regardless of whether it is paid

The first word belongs to the main clause.

The second word belongs to the clause after of. In Afrikaans subordinate clauses, the finite verb usually goes to the end, so instead of dit word betaal, you get:

• dit betaal word

That is why you see word twice.

Nagegaan is the past participle of nagaan, which means to check, to go over, or to review.

So:

• nagaan = to check / review
• nagegaan = checked / reviewed

In passive constructions, Afrikaans often uses a past participle together with word or is:

• word nagegaan = is checked / is being checked
• is nagegaan = has been checked / was checked / is checked (depending on context)

So nagegaan is not a separate basic dictionary form here; it is the participle used in the passive.

Good question. Afrikaans past participles are not all formed the same way.

1. nagaan → nagegaan

This verb is formed with na- plus gaan, and its participle becomes nagegaan.

2. betaal → betaal

The verb betaal begins with the unstressed prefix be-. Verbs with prefixes like be-, ge-, her-, er-, ont-, and ver- usually do not take an extra ge- in the past participle.

So:

• betaal = pay
• past participle = also betaal

That is why the sentence says:

• dit betaal word = it is paid

not dit gebetaal word.

Ongeag of means regardless of whether.

So:

• ongeag = regardless / irrespective
• of = whether, in this sentence

Together:

• ongeag of dit betaal word = regardless of whether it is paid

This is a very useful expression in formal Afrikaans.

You may also see similar meanings expressed in other ways, but ongeag of is a standard and natural choice.

No. In this sentence, of means whether, not or.

Afrikaans of can have different meanings depending on context:

• tee of koffie = tea or coffee
• Ek weet nie of hy kom nie = I don’t know whether he is coming

Here it introduces an indirect yes/no type clause:

• ongeag of dit betaal word = regardless of whether it is paid

So even though of often means or, that is not the meaning here.

Because after of, you are in a subordinate clause, and Afrikaans usually sends the finite verb to the end.

Compare:

Main clause

• Dit word betaal.
• It is paid.

Subordinate clause

• ... of dit betaal word
• ... whether it is paid

So the passive elements appear in a different order because of subordinate-clause word order.

This is one of the most important word-order patterns in Afrikaans:

• main clause: finite verb usually early in the sentence
• subordinate clause: finite verb usually at the end

Here dit most naturally refers to kommissie.

So the meaning is:

• the commission is checked,
• regardless of whether it is paid

Afrikaans often uses dit for things, ideas, or situations already mentioned. Since kommissie is an inanimate thing here, dit is the normal pronoun.

Afrikaans, especially in formal, procedural, or business-style language, often leaves out the article when speaking generally.

So:

• Kommissie word nagegaan sounds like a general rule or policy
• compare English procedural style: Commission is reviewed...

If you wanted to make it more specific, you could include an article, depending on context:

• Die kommissie word nagegaan = The commission is checked

Without die, the sentence sounds more general, institutional, or rule-based.

Yes, but it would change the nuance.

With word

• Kommissie word nagegaan
• the commission is checked / is being checked
• focuses on the process, rule, or ongoing action

With is

• Kommissie is nagegaan
• the commission has been checked / was checked / is checked
• focuses more on a completed action or resulting state

So in your sentence, word is the natural choice if the idea is a policy or standard procedure: the commission gets checked, regardless of payment.