Die brilraam hou die brillens.

In this sentence, die means the both times.

Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all genders

So unlike languages such as German, you do not have to learn different forms for masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns.

Here:

• Die brilraam = the glasses frame
• die brillens = the glasses lens

Because Afrikaans usually writes compound nouns as a single word.

This is very common in Afrikaans, just as in German and Dutch. The first part describes the second part.

So:

• bril = glasses / spectacles
• raam = frame
• brilraam = glasses frame / spectacle frame

And:

• lens = lens
• brillens = glasses lens / spectacle lens

A good rule for learners is: if English might write something as two words, Afrikaans often writes it as one compound word.

Because Afrikaans normally uses bril as a singular noun meaning a pair of glasses.

So even though English says glasses, Afrikaans often uses a singular form:

• ’n bril = a pair of glasses

That is why the compounds start with bril-:

• brilraam
• brillens

This can feel strange to English speakers at first, because English treats glasses as plural in form, but Afrikaans does not.

Here hou means holds or keeps in place.

So the idea is that the frame supports or holds the lens.

Depending on context, hou can also mean things like:

• hold
• keep
• maintain

In this sentence, holds is the natural meaning.

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change much in the present tense.

English has:

• I hold
• he holds

Afrikaans usually keeps the same form:

• ek hou
• jy hou
• hy hou
• die brilraam hou

So Afrikaans learners often find verbs easier than in English, because there is much less conjugation.

Here brillens is singular: the glasses lens.

If you wanted to say the glasses lenses, the plural would normally be brillense.

So:

• die brillens = the glasses lens
• die brillense = the glasses lenses

If you are talking about a normal pair of glasses, plural may often make more sense:

• Die brilraam hou die brillense.

The word order is the basic Afrikaans pattern:

subject + verb + object

So:

• Die brilraam = subject
• hou = verb
• die brillens = object

This is very similar to normal English word order:

• The frame holds the lens.

Also, in a main clause, Afrikaans normally keeps the finite verb in the second position. This sentence follows that rule perfectly.

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

dee BRIL-rahm hoh dee BRIL-lens

A few notes:

• Die is usually pronounced like dee
• bril sounds roughly like brill
• raam has a long aa sound, roughly like rahm
• hou has a diphthong sound, something like hoh or hoe-uh
• lens is close to English lens

The exact sounds depend on accent, but that rough guide is good enough to start with.

Yes, it is grammatical, but it sounds a little technical or instructional.

A native speaker might also say something slightly more natural depending on context, for example:

• Die raam hou die lens in plek.
• Die brilraam hou die brillense in plek.

So your sentence is understandable, but in everyday speech Afrikaans speakers may choose a version that sounds a bit more natural or more specific.

No. Unlike German, Afrikaans does not capitalize all nouns.

So in this sentence:

• brilraam is lowercase
• brillens is lowercase

Only the first word of the sentence, Die, gets a capital letter because it starts the sentence.