Die dansonderwyser tel die maatslag uit.

Afrikaans usually writes compound nouns as a single word. So dans + onderwyser becomes dansonderwyser.

This is very normal in Afrikaans:

• dans = dance
• onderwyser = teacher
• dansonderwyser = dance teacher

English often separates these words, but Afrikaans usually joins them.

Because both dansonderwyser and maatslag are definite nouns, and die is the normal Afrikaans word for the.

So:

• die dansonderwyser = the dance teacher
• die maatslag = the beat

A useful point: Afrikaans uses die for all genders, so you do not have to learn different forms like the for masculine/feminine/neuter.

This is the separable verb uittel.

• tel by itself means count
• uittel means count out, mark out by counting, or count through clearly

In a music or dance context, it often means counting the beats aloud or indicating the rhythm clearly.

Because uittel is a separable verb.

In a normal main clause, the conjugated verb goes near the beginning, and the separable part moves to the end:

• Die dansonderwyser tel die maatslag uit.

So:

• tel = the verb part
• uit = the particle that gets separated

This is very common in Afrikaans.

It is uittel.

For example:

• Die dansonderwyser wil die maatslag uittel.
  The dance teacher wants to count out the beat.

In a subordinate clause, it also stays together:

• ... dat die dansonderwyser die maatslag uittel.

So the split form happens mainly in ordinary main clauses.

Maatslag refers to the beat, meter, or count in music or dance.

It is made from:

• maat = measure, meter, bar, count
• slag = beat, stroke

In this sentence, it refers to the beat pattern the dance teacher is counting out.

The pattern is:

Subject + Verb + Object + Separable particle

So here:

• Die dansonderwyser = subject
• tel = verb
• die maatslag = object
• uit = separable particle

That gives: Die dansonderwyser tel die maatslag uit.

In a yes/no question, the verb comes first:

Tel die dansonderwyser die maatslag uit?

This is a standard Afrikaans pattern:

• statement: Die dansonderwyser tel die maatslag uit.
• question: Tel die dansonderwyser die maatslag uit?

A common past form would be:

Die dansonderwyser het die maatslag uitgetel.

Here, the separable verb becomes the past participle uitgetel:

• het = auxiliary
• uitgetel = counted out

So separable verbs often split in the present tense main clause, but come back together in participle forms like uitgetel.

Often yes, but context matters.

• tel = to count
• uittel = to count out, count through, mark out by counting

So in this sentence, tel is not just about numbers in the abstract. It is more specifically about giving or marking the beat in a clear, rhythmic way.

The ui sound in Afrikaans is tricky for English speakers because it does not match a simple English vowel.

A rough guide:

• uit sounds somewhat like a quick blend of uh and ay, but that is only approximate.
• It is not pronounced like English out.

Also:

• maat has a long aa, roughly like the a in father
• slag ends with the Afrikaans g, which is usually a throat sound, similar to the ch in Scottish loch for many speakers

So pronunciation may take a little practice, especially ui and g.