Ons vergewe die fout.

Yes. In this sentence, ons is the subject pronoun and means we.

A useful thing to know is that ons can also mean us in other contexts, because Afrikaans often uses the same form for subject and object pronouns. For example:

• Ons vergewe die fout. = We forgive the mistake.
• Hulle sien ons. = They see us.

So here, its job in the sentence tells you it means we.

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

In English, you compare:

• I forgive
• he forgives

In Afrikaans, the verb normally stays the same:

• Ek vergewe
• jy vergewe
• hy vergewe
• ons vergewe

So vergewe is the normal present-tense form with ons.

In practice, it is both the dictionary form and the present-tense verb form.

So:

• vergewe = to forgive as a vocabulary item
• ons vergewe = we forgive

This is very common in Afrikaans. The basic verb form is often the same form you use in the present tense.

Yes. Die is the definite article and means the.

One of the nice things for English speakers is that Afrikaans does not change the definite article for gender or case. So you use die for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• masculine, feminine, and neuter ideas

Examples:

• die fout = the mistake
• die man = the man
• die vrou = the woman
• die boeke = the books

Fout is a noun meaning mistake, error, or fault, depending on context.

Its plural is usually foute.

Examples:

• die fout = the mistake
• die foute = the mistakes

So in your sentence, die fout is the direct object of the verb vergewe.

Yes, in this basic main clause it is very similar to English:

• Ons = subject
• vergewe = verb
• die fout = object

So the pattern is Subject + Verb + Object.

That said, Afrikaans word order becomes more different from English in other structures, especially when another element comes first or in subordinate clauses.

A standard negative sentence in Afrikaans usually uses nie ... nie.

So:

• Ons vergewe die fout. becomes
• Ons vergewe nie die fout nie.

This double negative structure is one of the most important features of Afrikaans grammar.

A common way to form the past tense in Afrikaans is with het plus a past participle.

So:

• Ons vergewe die fout. = present
• Ons het die fout vergewe. = past

Notice two things:

1. het is added.
2. vergewe moves to the end as the past participle form.

For this verb, the participle is also vergewe.

In a yes-no question, Afrikaans usually puts the verb first.

So:

• Ons vergewe die fout. becomes
• Vergewe ons die fout?

That verb-first pattern is very common in Afrikaans questions.

The tricky part for many English speakers is the g.

In standard Afrikaans, g is usually a harsh throaty sound, similar to the ch in some Scottish pronunciations of loch, but often voiced differently depending on accent.

A rough guide for learners:

• ver- sounds something like fer- or fur-
• ge has that throaty g
• -we sounds roughly like vuh or veh depending on accent and speed

So vergewe is approximately fer-KHAY-vuh as a very rough learner-friendly guide, though exact pronunciation varies.

Yes. You can forgive a person, or forgive a thing such as a mistake.

For example:

• Ons vergewe hom. = We forgive him.
• Ons vergewe die fout. = We forgive the mistake.

So in your sentence, the thing being forgiven is the mistake, not a person.

Yes, it is grammatical and understandable.

Depending on context, a speaker might also choose a slightly different wording, especially if they want to make clear whose mistake it is or whom they are forgiving for it. But as a simple sentence meaning that we forgive the mistake, this is perfectly fine for learning the structure.