Hulle is hier welkom.

In this sentence, hulle means they.

So:

• Hulle = they
• is = are
• hier = here
• welkom = welcome

A useful note: hulle can also appear in other roles in Afrikaans, but here it is clearly the subject of the sentence, so it means they.

Afrikaans does not change the verb to be in the present tense the way English does.

English has:

• I am
• you are
• he/she is
• they are

Afrikaans uses is for all of these:

• Ek is = I am
• jy is = you are
• hy is = he is
• ons is = we are
• hulle is = they are

So Hulle is is completely normal.

Hier means here.

In Hulle is hier welkom, it tells you where they are welcome.

Afrikaans word order is often similar to English, but adverbs like hier can move around depending on emphasis. In this sentence, hier sits before welkom, which is very natural.

So the sentence structure is roughly:

• Hulle = they
• is = are
• hier = here
• welkom = welcome

No. In this sentence, welkom is not a verb. It is functioning like an adjective or a predicate word after is.

So Hulle is hier welkom literally works like:

• They
• are
• welcome
• here

It is similar to English They are welcome here, where welcome is also not really acting like a normal action verb.

Yes, you can.

Both of these are natural:

• Hulle is hier welkom
• Hulle is welkom hier

The meaning is basically the same: They are welcome here.

The difference is mostly one of focus or rhythm:

• Hulle is hier welkom puts here a little earlier, which can make the place feel slightly more highlighted.
• Hulle is welkom hier may feel a bit closer to the usual English order.

In everyday use, both are understandable and acceptable.

In this sentence, welkom stays exactly the same because it comes after is.

Afrikaans often keeps adjectives unchanged when they are used after a linking verb, such as is.

So:

• Hulle is welkom = They are welcome
• Sy is welkom = She is welcome
• Ons is welkom = We are welcome

The word welkom does not change to match person or number.

You would say:

Hulle is nie hier welkom nie.

Afrikaans commonly uses a double nie for negation:

• first nie after the verb or later in the clause
• second nie at the end

So:

• Hulle is hier welkom. = They are welcome here.
• Hulle is nie hier welkom nie. = They are not welcome here.

This double-negation pattern is one of the most important things to get used to in Afrikaans.

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

• Hulle ≈ HU-luh
• is ≈ iss
• hier ≈ heer or hee-ur depending on accent
• welkom ≈ VEL-kom

A few pronunciation notes:

• hulle does not sound like English hull. The vowels are a bit different.
• w in Afrikaans is often pronounced more like an English v, so welkom sounds closer to VEL-kom than WEL-kom.
• hier is related to Dutch-like pronunciation and may sound a little different from English here, even though the meaning is the same.

Yes, in Afrikaans hulle can sometimes appear in ways that may confuse English speakers.

For example:

• hulle = they / them
• hulle huis = their house

So hulle can also be used in possessive expressions.

But in Hulle is hier welkom, it clearly means they, because it is the subject before the verb is.

No, not in a normal full sentence.

Afrikaans needs is here, just as English needs are in They are welcome here.

So:

• correct: Hulle is hier welkom
• not standard: Hulle hier welkom

You might hear very shortened language in signs or informal speech, but as a learner, you should keep is in this kind of sentence.

It is basically neutral.

Hulle is hier welkom can work in many contexts:

• everyday conversation
• polite speech
• written notices
• public messages

It does not sound especially formal or especially casual. It is a normal, natural sentence.