Die eksterne hardeskyf is langs die rekenaar.

Word by word:

• die = the
• eksterne = external
• hardeskyf = hard drive
• is = is
• langs = next to / alongside
• die = the
• rekenaar = computer

So the whole sentence means The external hard drive is next to the computer.

Because Afrikaans uses die as the definite article, meaning the.

In this sentence:

• die eksterne hardeskyf = the external hard drive
• die rekenaar = the computer

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not change the for gender or case. The same word die is used for all genders and for both singular and plural definite nouns in most ordinary situations.

Because the adjective is placed before the noun.

In Afrikaans, adjectives often take an -e ending when they come before a noun:

• die eksterne hardeskyf = the external hard drive

But when the adjective comes after a linking verb like is, it usually appears in its basic form:

• Die hardeskyf is ekstern. = The hard drive is external.

So:

• before the noun: eksterne
• after is: ekstern

Yes. Afrikaans often writes compound nouns as one word.

So hardeskyf is a single compound noun meaning hard drive.

This is very common in Afrikaans and also in Dutch and German. English often writes similar ideas as two words, but Afrikaans prefers one-word compounds.

Examples:

• hardeskyf = hard drive
• selfoon = cell phone
• woordeboek = dictionary

This is normal Afrikaans main-clause word order: subject + verb + rest.

So here:

• Die eksterne hardeskyf = subject
• is = verb
• langs die rekenaar = prepositional phrase

That is very similar to English:

• The external hard drive
  • is
    • next to the computer

Afrikaans usually keeps the finite verb in the second position in a main clause. In a simple sentence like this, that gives you the familiar subject-verb order.

Here langs means next to, alongside, or beside.

So:

• langs die rekenaar = next to the computer

It is a common preposition for physical position.

Examples:

• Die stoel is langs die tafel. = The chair is next to the table.
• Hy loop langs die pad. = He walks along the road.

So depending on context, langs can mean either next to or along.

No, not in the same way.

Afrikaans does not have the strong grammatical gender system that languages like German use. You do not need to learn different forms of the like masculine, feminine, and neuter.

That is why both nouns in this sentence use the same article:

• die hardeskyf
• die rekenaar

This makes Afrikaans articles much simpler for English speakers.

A helpful English-style approximation is:

rek-uh-NAHR

A few notes:

• reke- sounds roughly like rek-uh
• the stress is usually on the last part: -naar
• aa is a long a sound

So rekenaar sounds somewhat like reck-uh-NAR, but with a long vowel in the last syllable.

A rough approximation is:

HAR-duh-skayf

Notes:

• harde sounds like HAR-duh
• skyf sounds a bit like skayf
• the y in skyf is often pronounced like the vowel in say or face, depending on accent

So the whole word is approximately HAR-duh-skayf.

Yes, if you mean an external hard drive rather than the external hard drive.

Compare:

• die eksterne hardeskyf = the external hard drive
• 'n eksterne hardeskyf = an external hard drive

So if you are talking about a specific one already known in context, die is correct. If you are introducing it for the first time or speaking more generally, 'n may be better.

The plural would usually be:

• hardeskywe = hard drives
• rekenaars = computers

So the sentence could become:

• Die eksterne hardeskywe is langs die rekenaar.

However, in very careful standard usage, if the subject is plural, many speakers would prefer:

• Die eksterne hardeskywe is langs die rekenaar.

Afrikaans is is used with both singular and plural in the present tense, unlike English, which changes between is and are.

Yes.

Afrikaans does not change the present-tense form of to be the way English does. So:

• Hy is = He is
• Hulle is = They are
• Die hardeskyf is = The hard drive is
• Die hardeskywe is = The hard drives are

This is one of the simpler parts of Afrikaans grammar for English speakers.