Ons bespreek die gedrag.

Here, ons means we.

A useful thing to know is that Afrikaans uses ons for both we and us, depending on its role in the sentence. In Ons bespreek die gedrag, it is the subject, so it means we.

• Ons bespreek die gedrag. = We discuss the behaviour.
• Hulle sien ons. = They see us.

So unlike English, Afrikaans does not change the form from we to us.

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject.

In English, we say:

• I discuss
• he discusses
• we discuss

But in Afrikaans, the verb normally stays the same:

• Ek bespreek
• Hy bespreek
• Ons bespreek

That makes Afrikaans verb conjugation much simpler than English in the present tense.

Bespreek means discuss.

It can be used in much the same way as English discuss:

• Ons bespreek die probleem. = We discuss the problem.
• Hulle bespreek die plan. = They discuss the plan.

Be careful if you know Dutch or German, because related words in those languages can sometimes also mean reserve or book in certain contexts. In Afrikaans, bespreek can also have that meaning in some situations, but in this sentence it clearly means discuss.

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

So:

• die gedrag = the behaviour

A very helpful feature of Afrikaans is that die is used for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all genders

So you do not have to learn different forms like the, der, die, das, etc. One form does the job.

Examples:

• die man = the man
• die vrou = the woman
• die kinders = the children

Gedrag means behaviour or conduct.

It usually refers to the way someone acts. Depending on context, it can sound a little formal, just like English behaviour or conduct can.

For example:

• goeie gedrag = good behaviour
• slegte gedrag = bad behaviour

In this sentence, die gedrag most naturally means the behaviour being talked about or analyzed.

Here, gedrag is singular in form.

In practice, it often works like a general or abstract noun, similar to English behaviour. English behaviour is also often treated as an uncountable idea rather than something you count one by one.

So die gedrag is best understood as:

• the behaviour
• that behaviour
• the conduct

rather than the behaviours, unless the wider context specifically suggests different types or examples of behaviour.

This sentence uses normal main-clause word order:

Ons + bespreek + die gedrag
subject + verb + object

So:

• Ons = subject
• bespreek = verb
• die gedrag = object

This is very straightforward and often feels familiar to an English speaker.

A useful grammar point is that Afrikaans is a verb-second language in main clauses. In this sentence, the subject comes first, so the verb naturally comes second.

Yes. Afrikaans often uses the simple present where English might use either the simple present or the present continuous.

So Ons bespreek die gedrag can mean:

• We discuss the behaviour
• We are discussing the behaviour

The exact meaning depends on context.

Afrikaans does not usually need a separate form like English are discussing in everyday usage.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is roughly:

beh-SPRAYK

More carefully:

• be- sounds like buh or a short unstressed be
• spreek rhymes roughly with English make, but with spr- at the start

So the stress is mainly on spreek.

A rough learner-friendly guide is:

khuh-DRAKH or guh-DRAKH

A few notes:

• The g in Afrikaans is usually a throaty sound, not the soft English g in go
• The stress is on the second syllable: ge-DRAG
• The final g is also that same throaty sound

If producing the Afrikaans g is difficult at first, that is very normal for English speakers.

Yes, very closely:

• Ons = we
• bespreek = discuss
• die = the
• gedrag = behaviour

So the structure maps neatly onto English:

Ons bespreek die gedrag.
We discuss the behaviour.

This is a good example of a sentence that is both grammatically simple and very transparent for an English-speaking learner.