Ons kombineer die syfers in die volgorde.

Yes, ons means we in this sentence.

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

• Ons kombineer die syfers. = We combine the digits.
• Hulle help ons. = They help us.

So you understand its role from the word order and the sentence structure.

In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change form depending on the subject. That is much simpler than English.

So you get:

• Ek kombineer = I combine
• Jy kombineer = you combine
• Ons kombineer = we combine
• Hulle kombineer = they combine

Unlike English, you do not usually add something like -s for he/she/it in the present tense.

Kombineer is a borrowed/international-type word, related to English combine. That is why it may look familiar.

Afrikaans has many words like this, especially in formal, technical, or educational language. In everyday speech, speakers may sometimes prefer another phrasing depending on context, but kombineer is perfectly normal and understandable.

Because die is the definite article, meaning the.

In this sentence:

• die syfers = the digits / the numbers
• die volgorde = the order / the sequence

Afrikaans uses die for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all grammatical genders

So unlike languages such as German or Dutch, the article does not change for masculine/feminine/neuter, and unlike English, it also stays the same for plural nouns.

Syfers is the plural of syfer.

It usually means:

• digits
• numerals
• sometimes figures or numbers, depending on context

So the exact English translation can vary a little. If the sentence is about mathematics or arranging numerals, digits is often the best choice.

Examples:

• Die syfer 8 = The digit 8
• Die syfers 3 en 5 = The digits 3 and 5

The singular is syfer, and the plural is made by adding -s:

• syfer → syfers

That is a very common plural pattern in Afrikaans. Not all plurals work this way, but many do.

Literally, it means in the order.

In natural English, depending on context, you might translate it as:

• in the order
• in the sequence
• in that order
• in the correct order

The noun volgorde means order or sequence.

It is built from the idea of following:

• volg = follow
• volgorde = order / sequence

So the phrase suggests that the digits are being combined according to a particular arrangement.

This is normal main-clause word order in Afrikaans:

subject + verb + object + adverbial/prepositional phrase

So here you have:

• Ons = subject
• kombineer = verb
• die syfers = object
• in die volgorde = prepositional phrase

This is very similar to English:

• We combine the digits in the order.

Afrikaans word order becomes more noticeably different in subordinate clauses, where the verb typically moves later.

Yes, Afrikaans allows some flexibility, especially with prepositional phrases, although some positions sound more natural than others depending on emphasis.

For example:

• Ons kombineer die syfers in die volgorde. = neutral
• In die volgorde kombineer ons die syfers. = puts emphasis on the order

When a phrase like In die volgorde comes first, the finite verb usually comes immediately after it:

• In die volgorde kombineer ons ...

That verb-second pattern is very important in Afrikaans main clauses.

A common past-tense version would be:

Ons het die syfers in die volgorde gekombineer.

This uses the usual Afrikaans perfect-style past tense:

• het = auxiliary
• gekombineer = past participle

So Afrikaans often forms the past with: subject + het + rest of sentence + ge-verb

Example:

• Ons kombineer die syfers. = present
• Ons het die syfers gekombineer. = past

A few pronunciation notes can help:

• ons sounds roughly like ons with a short o
• kombineer sounds roughly like kom-bi-NEER
• syfers begins with sy-, where y in Afrikaans often sounds a bit like the vowel in French tu or German über, though learners often start with an approximation
• volgorde has the Afrikaans/Dutch-style g, a throat sound, not the English g in go

A rough learner-friendly approximation:

• Ons kombineer die syfers in die volgorde
• ons kom-bi-NEER dee SAY-fers in dee FOL-khor-duh

That is only approximate, but it can help you get started.

It is singular here.

• die volgorde = the order / the sequence

Even though English sometimes says in order without the, Afrikaans here uses the noun with the article:

• in die volgorde

If you wanted a plural, the form would be different depending on the exact noun pattern, but in this sentence the singular is the natural one.