Ons maak die loodsgat met die elektriese boor.

Ons means we here, so it is the subject of the sentence.

A useful extra point: ons can also mean us in other contexts, but in this sentence it clearly means we because it is doing the action:

• Ons maak ... = We make ...

Maak is the Afrikaans verb meaning make. In some contexts, it can also overlap with English do, depending on the expression.

In this sentence:

• Ons maak die loodsgat ... = We make the pilot hole ...

So maak is the natural verb for making/creating the hole.

Also, Afrikaans verbs are much simpler than English verbs. The verb usually does not change depending on the subject:

• ek maak = I make
• jy maak = you make
• ons maak = we make

Die means the.

It appears twice because there are two separate nouns that are definite:

• die loodsgat = the pilot hole
• die elektriese boor = the electric drill

Unlike English, Afrikaans uses die for almost all definite nouns, regardless of gender. There is no separate the for masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Afrikaans often writes compound nouns as one word, just like Dutch and German often do.

So:

• loods
  • gat → loodsgat

This literally combines the idea of a pilot/guide hole into one noun: pilot hole.

English sometimes writes compound ideas as two words, but Afrikaans very often joins them together.

Met means with.

In this sentence, it introduces the tool being used:

• met die elektriese boor = with the electric drill

So it tells you how or by means of what the action is done.

This is because elektriese is an adjective placed before a noun, and in Afrikaans adjectives often take -e in that position.

So:

• elektriese boor = electric drill

This is very common in Afrikaans:

• die groot huis = the big house
• die nuwe motor = the new car
• die elektriese boor = the electric drill

So the -e ending is a normal adjective form before the noun.

Here, boor is a noun meaning drill.

You can tell because it follows die elektriese, so it is the thing being described:

• die elektriese boor = the electric drill

But boor can also be a verb meaning to drill in other sentences. So the word can have two roles, and the context tells you which one it is.

This is a very normal Afrikaans main-clause word order:

• Ons = subject
• maak = verb
• die loodsgat = object
• met die elektriese boor = prepositional phrase

So it follows the basic pattern:

Subject + Verb + Object + Extra information

That is very similar to English:

• We make the pilot hole with the electric drill

Yes, Afrikaans is somewhat flexible with word order, especially with prepositional phrases.

For example, you could also hear:

• Ons maak met die elektriese boor die loodsgat.

But the original version is the most straightforward and natural for a learner:

• Ons maak die loodsgat met die elektriese boor.

So yes, the phrase can move, but the given sentence is a good neutral word order.

Afrikaans does not use grammatical gender the way many European languages do.

That is why the definite article is simply:

• die = the

It works for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all noun types

So learners do not have to memorize masculine, feminine, or neuter articles.

It is singular.

You can tell from the meaning: the pilot hole refers to one hole.

Also, the noun itself is singular:

• loodsgat = pilot hole
• loodsgate = pilot holes

Even though die can also be used for plurals in Afrikaans, here the noun form shows that it is singular.

Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject.

So the same form maak is used with different subjects:

• ek maak
• jy maak
• hy maak
• ons maak
• hulle maak

This is one of the simpler parts of Afrikaans grammar compared with English.

Yes, in many contexts Afrikaans simple present can correspond to either:

• We make the pilot hole or
• We are making the pilot hole

The exact meaning often depends on context.

So Ons maak die loodsgat met die elektriese boor could be understood as either a general instruction or something happening right now.