Die tegnikus konfigureer hetsy die modem hetsy die toegangspunt.

It means either ... or ....

So:

• hetsy die modem hetsy die toegangspunt = either the modem or the access point

In this sentence, hetsy is used twice, once before each option. That is the normal pattern.

It is a bit more formal or careful in tone than some everyday alternatives.

Afrikaans normally uses the pair hetsy ... hetsy ... together, just like a matched set:

• hetsy A hetsy B = either A or B

So you do not usually say just one hetsy here.

This repeated structure clearly marks the two alternatives.

Yes, in many contexts Afrikaans speakers often use of for or, and in everyday speech that may sound more natural.

For example:

• Die tegnikus konfigureer die modem of die toegangspunt.

That still means The technician configures the modem or the access point.

However, hetsy ... hetsy ... is useful when you want to emphasize the either/or choice more clearly.

Because both nouns are definite here:

• die modem = the modem
• die toegangspunt = the access point

Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for singular and plural nouns.

So unlike English, Afrikaans does not change the based on number or gender. It is simply die.

No. Afrikaans does not assign grammatical gender to nouns the way some other languages do.

So die tegnikus, die modem, and die toegangspunt all use die, but that does not tell you anything about masculine, feminine, or neuter gender.

Konfigureer is the present-tense verb form here.

Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject in the present tense. So the same form is used with different subjects:

• Ek konfigureer = I configure
• Die tegnikus konfigureer = The technician configures
• Hulle konfigureer = They configure

This is much simpler than English, where you have configure but configures with he/she/it.

Afrikaans main clauses normally follow the V2 pattern, meaning the finite verb comes early in the clause, typically in the second main slot.

Here the structure is:

• Die tegnikus = subject
• konfigureer = finite verb
• hetsy die modem hetsy die toegangspunt = object phrase with two alternatives

So the sentence follows the normal main-clause order very neatly.

It is a compound noun.

It is built from:

• toegang = access
• punt = point

So toegangspunt literally means access point.

This is very common in Afrikaans, just as in English and Dutch: separate ideas are often joined into one compound word.

No. Die tegnikus simply means the technician and can refer to a man or a woman unless the context makes the person’s sex clear.

Afrikaans job titles are often used in a gender-neutral way.

The structure hetsy ... hetsy ... presents an alternative, so it means one or the other, not necessarily both.

So the sentence means the technician configures:

• either the modem
• or the access point

If you wanted to say both, Afrikaans would use a different structure, such as beide ... en ... or simply a wording that clearly includes both items.

It is perfectly correct, but it can sound a bit formal, careful, or written depending on the context.

In casual speech, many speakers might prefer a simpler construction with of.

So as a learner, it is good to:

• recognize hetsy ... hetsy ...
• understand that it means either ... or
• know that a simpler of version is also very common in everyday use

A natural past-tense version would be:

• Die tegnikus het hetsy die modem hetsy die toegangspunt gekonfigureer.

Here you can see the common Afrikaans perfect structure:

• het = auxiliary
• gekonfigureer = past participle

So the main idea becomes The technician configured either the modem or the access point.

This also shows a useful pattern: in the perfect tense, the participle usually goes toward the end of the clause.