Die monteerstel bevat sowel die boorpunt as die wasser.

Sowel ... as ... means both ... and ....

So:

• sowel die boorpunt as die wasser = both the drill bit and the washer

It is a slightly more formal or careful way to connect two things than just using en (and).

Compare:

• Die monteerstel bevat die boorpunt en die wasser. = The mounting kit contains the drill bit and the washer.
• Die monteerstel bevat sowel die boorpunt as die wasser. = The mounting kit contains both the drill bit and the washer.

The second version puts a bit more emphasis on the fact that both items are included.

In Afrikaans, die is the definite article, meaning the.

In this sentence it appears before each noun:

• Die monteerstel
• die boorpunt
• die wasser

Afrikaans often repeats the article where English also would:

• the mounting kit
• the drill bit
• the washer

So the repetition is normal.

It can mean both singular and plural.

That is one nice simplification in Afrikaans: die is used for:

• the kit → die stel
• the kits → die stelle

So unlike English, where singular and plural articles are not always a focus, and unlike some other languages that change articles a lot, Afrikaans keeps die very simple.

In your sentence, all the nouns are singular, but die would still be die even if some were plural.

Monteerstel is a compound noun, which is very common in Afrikaans.

It is made up of:

• monteer = mount / assemble / install
• stel = set / kit

Together, monteerstel means something like mounting kit or assembly kit, depending on context.

Afrikaans, like Dutch and German, often writes compound nouns as one word. English sometimes uses one word, sometimes a hyphen, and sometimes two words, but Afrikaans strongly prefers the solid compound form.

Because Afrikaans main clauses usually follow the verb-second rule.

Here the structure is:

• Die monteerstel = subject
• bevat = verb
• sowel die boorpunt as die wasser = rest of the sentence

So the finite verb bevat comes right after the first main element.

This is the normal word order in a simple statement in Afrikaans.

Bevat means contains.

It comes from the verb bevat = to contain / include.

It is not a close everyday English lookalike, so it usually just has to be learned as vocabulary. In this sentence it is in the present tense:

• ek bevat is not normally used much in everyday speech for a person, but grammatically possible in some senses
• dit bevat = it contains

Afrikaans verbs are much simpler than English verbs because they usually do not change form for different subjects in the present tense. So:

• die stel bevat
• hulle bevat

The verb form usually stays the same.

Yes, in many situations you can.

For example:

• Die monteerstel bevat die boorpunt en die wasser.

This is perfectly natural and probably more common in everyday speech.

Using sowel ... as ... adds emphasis and means specifically both ... and .... It can sound a bit more formal, careful, or complete.

So the difference is mostly:

• en = and
• sowel ... as ... = both ... and

Boorpunt is another compound noun:

• boor = drill
• punt = point / tip / bit

In context, boorpunt means drill bit.

A learner might expect something more literally like drill point, and that is basically how the word is built, but the natural English meaning here is drill bit.

Yes, in this kind of hardware context, wasser means washer.

It is a technical/mechanical noun. For an English speaker, it is helpful because it looks familiar, but remember that in Afrikaans it is just the normal noun for that part.

So here:

• die wasser = the washer

A rough guide for an English speaker:

• sowel ≈ suh-VAIL or soh-VAIL
• bevat ≈ buh-FAT

A few helpful points:

• w in Afrikaans is pronounced more like English v
• the stress in sowel is usually on the second syllable
• the v in bevat sounds like an English f in normal Afrikaans pronunciation

So:

• sowel sounds closer to so-vail than English so-well
• bevat does not sound like English bee-vat

It sounds a bit technical and slightly formal/neutral, which fits the context of product descriptions, manuals, packaging, or instructions.

Reasons:

• monteerstel is technical vocabulary
• bevat is common in written descriptions
• sowel ... as ... sounds more formal than plain en

So this is exactly the kind of sentence you might see in:

• a parts list
• product packaging
• assembly instructions
• a hardware catalogue

Yes, but the verb still has to stay in the usual Afrikaans position in a main clause.

For example, you could front another element for emphasis, if the context allowed it. But in a neutral sentence, the given order is the most natural:

• Die monteerstel bevat sowel die boorpunt as die wasser.

That is the straightforward standard order: subject + verb + object/complement

So while variations are possible in broader contexts, this version is the best basic pattern for learners to remember.