Wat ook al beskadig is, vervang ons dit met die rugsteunkopie.

Wat ook al means whatever or anything that.

So:

• Wat ook al beskadig is = Whatever is damaged
• more literally: What-ever is damaged

The words ook al add the idea of no matter what / any ... at all.

Compare:

• wat beskadig is = what is damaged
• wat ook al beskadig is = whatever is damaged

That makes the statement broader and more general.

Because this is a subordinate clause (or a clause functioning like one), and in Afrikaans the finite verb often goes to the end in that kind of clause.

Compare:

• Dit is beskadig. = It is damaged.
• wat beskadig is = that is damaged / what is damaged

So the word order is normal Afrikaans grammar here:

• Wat ook al beskadig is, ...

An English speaker often expects is earlier, but Afrikaans regularly places it later in this kind of clause.

Here it functions like damaged in English: an adjective-like past participle.

So:

• Die lêer is beskadig. = The file is damaged.

The word beskadig comes from the verb beskadig (to damage), but after is it describes a state or condition.

So in this sentence, beskadig is means is damaged, not damages.

Because Afrikaans is a verb-second language in main clauses.

When the first part of the sentence is placed before the main clause:

• Wat ook al beskadig is, ...

that whole clause takes the first position. Then the finite verb of the main clause comes next:

• vervang
  • ons
    • dit

So:

• Ons vervang dit met die rugsteunkopie. = normal basic order
• Wat ook al beskadig is, vervang ons dit met die rugsteunkopie. = fronted clause, so inversion happens

This is very similar to English patterns like:

• Whatever is damaged, we replace it with the backup copy.

English does not change the verb order as much, but Afrikaans does.

Yes, wat already points to the damaged thing, but dit is still natural and common in Afrikaans as a resumptive pronoun.

It works a bit like this:

• Whatever is damaged, we replace it ...

English also often repeats the idea with it, and Afrikaans does the same here.

So dit refers back to whatever is damaged.

Without dit, the sentence would sound less natural in this structure.

It means with the backup copy.

Breakdown:

• met = with
• die = the
• rugsteunkopie = backup copy

So:

• vervang ons dit met die rugsteunkopie = we replace it with the backup copy

This means the backup copy is the thing used as the replacement.

Because vervang ... met ... is the natural way to express replace ... with ... in Afrikaans.

So:

• vervang iets met iets anders = replace something with something else

Using met matches the English idea very closely here.

For example:

• Ons vervang die beskadigde lêer met ’n nuwe een.
• We replace the damaged file with a new one.

Because Afrikaans usually writes compound nouns as one word.

So:

• rugsteun = backup
• kopie = copy
• rugsteunkopie = backup copy

This is very normal in Afrikaans. English often separates such words, but Afrikaans usually joins them.

Other similar examples:

• rekenaarstelsel = computer system
• databasisfout = database error

Die means the.

So die rugsteunkopie means the backup copy, not just a backup copy.

That suggests a specific backup copy is meant, probably one already known from the context.

Compare:

• ’n rugsteunkopie = a backup copy
• die rugsteunkopie = the backup copy

The comma separates the introductory clause from the main clause:

• Wat ook al beskadig is,
• vervang ons dit met die rugsteunkopie.

This helps show the sentence structure clearly.

It is similar to English punctuation in sentences like:

• Whatever is damaged, we replace it with the backup copy.

So the comma is there because the first clause sets up the topic before the main statement.

Yes, something like Enigiets wat beskadig is, vervang ons met die rugsteunkopie is possible.

But there is a slight difference in feel:

• wat ook al = whatever / no matter what
• enigiets wat = anything that

Wat ook al sounds especially open-ended and idiomatic in this kind of sentence. It is a very natural choice when you mean anything whatsoever that is damaged.

Yes, especially in a technical or IT context.

It sounds like something you might say about files, data, records, or system components:

• Whatever is damaged, we replace it with the backup copy.

The sentence is clear, grammatical, and practical in tone. It is the kind of Afrikaans you might see in instructions, documentation, or troubleshooting explanations.