Die outomatiese rugsteun begin na gelang van die sinkroniseringsinstellings.

Because outomatiese is an adjective used before the noun rugsteun.

In Afrikaans, many adjectives take an -e ending when they come before a noun, especially after die.

So:

• outomaties = automatic, automatically, in its basic form
• outomatiese rugsteun = automatic backup

A useful comparison:

• Die rugsteun is outomaties. = The backup is automatic.
• Die outomatiese rugsteun begin ... = The automatic backup starts ...

So outomaties is the basic form, while outomatiese is the form used here before the noun.

Here rugsteun is a noun, meaning backup.

So:

• die rugsteun = the backup

Afrikaans often uses the same form for a noun and a verb, depending on context. In this sentence, it is clearly a noun because it comes after the article die and is modified by the adjective outomatiese.

So the structure is:

• Die outomatiese rugsteun = The automatic backup

Yes. In Afrikaans, die is the normal definite article for the, regardless of gender.

Unlike some other languages, Afrikaans does not have different words for masculine, feminine, and neuter the.

So in this sentence:

• die outomatiese rugsteun = the automatic backup
• die sinkroniseringsinstellings = the synchronization settings

The same die works in both places.

Na gelang van is a fixed expression meaning:

• according to
• depending on
• in accordance with

In this sentence, it means that when the backup starts is determined by the synchronization settings.

So:

• begin na gelang van die sinkroniseringsinstellings
  = starts depending on the synchronization settings

This is not something you usually translate word for word. It is best learned as a set phrase: na gelang van.

Not very naturally.

Even though you can analyze the individual words, native speakers usually learn na gelang van as one expression. If you try to translate each piece separately, the result may sound awkward or unclear.

For learners, the safest approach is:

• na gelang van = depending on / according to

That will usually give you the right sense.

Because Afrikaans follows the normal verb-second pattern in main clauses.

The sentence starts with the subject:

• Die outomatiese rugsteun = the automatic backup

Then comes the finite verb:

• begin = starts / begins

So the basic order is:

• Subject + verb + rest

That gives:

• Die outomatiese rugsteun begin na gelang van die sinkroniseringsinstellings.

This is very normal Afrikaans word order.

Yes, begin is present tense here.

Afrikaans verbs do not usually change form for different persons the way English does. So Afrikaans does not add an -s for he/she/it in the present tense.

Compare:

• Ek begin = I begin
• Jy begin = you begin
• Die rugsteun begin = the backup begins

The verb stays begin in all those cases.

It is a compound word, which is very common in Afrikaans.

You can break it down as:

• sinkronisering = synchronization
• instellings = settings

Together:

• sinkroniseringsinstellings = synchronization settings

Afrikaans often joins related words into one longer compound instead of writing them separately.

This is similar to how English sometimes forms technical compounds, although English often uses spaces where Afrikaans uses one word.

Because it is plural.

• instelling = setting
• instellings = settings

So:

• die sinkroniseringsinstellings = the synchronization settings

The sentence refers to settings in general, not just one setting.

Sometimes, but not always.

• volgens usually means according to
• na gelang van often means depending on / according to, as determined by

In this sentence, na gelang van is a good choice because it suggests that the start of the backup varies based on the settings.

If you used volgens, the meaning would lean more toward according to the settings, which is close, but slightly less focused on variation or dependency.

So na gelang van is the more natural choice here.

It is singular.

You can tell because:

• rugsteun here is singular
• the verb is begin
• the phrase refers to one backup process or one backup function

If it were plural, you would expect:

• die outomatiese rugsteune or another plural form depending on usage in context

But in this sentence, it is clearly singular: the automatic backup.

Because Afrikaans, like English, uses one article for the whole noun phrase.

So:

• die outomatiese rugsteun

means:

• the
  • automatic
    • backup

You do not repeat die before the noun. The single die covers the whole phrase.

The same thing happens later:

• die sinkroniseringsinstellings = the synchronization settings

One die is enough for the whole noun phrase.