Die tandpyn is ernstig.

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

So Die tandpyn = The toothache.

Afrikaans uses die for:

• singular nouns: die hond = the dog
• plural nouns: die honde = the dogs

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not have different forms like the vs something else based on gender. Die works very broadly.

'n means a / an, so it is indefinite.

Compare:

• Die tandpyn is ernstig. = The toothache is serious.
• 'n Tandpyn is ernstig. = A toothache is serious.

If you are talking about a specific toothache, die is the natural choice.

Yes. Afrikaans very often writes compound nouns as one word.

So:

• tand = tooth
• pyn = pain
• tandpyn = toothache

This is very common in Afrikaans, and often more consistent than in English.

Other examples:

• huiswerk = homework
• sonlig = sunlight

Roughly:

• tand sounds similar to English tunt / tahnd with a clear d at the end
• pyn sounds roughly like pain, but not exactly the same

A useful approximation for English speakers is:

tand-pain

But remember that Afrikaans pronunciation is a bit different from English, especially the vowels.

The main thing is that it has two clear parts:

• tand
• pyn

Because this is a simple statement with the verb is.

The structure is:

• Die tandpyn = subject
• is = verb
• ernstig = description

So it follows the basic pattern:

subject + verb + complement

That is why it looks very close to English:

• The toothache is serious.
• Die tandpyn is ernstig.

Yes, in this sentence it does.

Is is a form of the verb wees (to be).

So:

• Ek is = I am
• Jy is = you are
• Hy is = he is
• Die tandpyn is = The toothache is

In the present tense, is is used very often and is easy to recognize.

Because ernstig comes after the verb is, so it is being used predicatively.

In Afrikaans:

• after is, adjectives usually stay in their basic form
• before a noun, adjectives often take -e

Compare:

• Die tandpyn is ernstig. = The toothache is serious.
• die ernstige tandpyn = the serious toothache

So:

• ernstig = after the verb
• ernstige = before the noun

This is a very important Afrikaans pattern.

It can suggest serious, and depending on context it can also feel close to severe.

In a medical or pain context, English speakers might naturally translate it as:

• The toothache is serious or
• The toothache is severe

So the exact best English word depends on the situation, but ernstig clearly shows that the toothache is not mild.

Yes.

• Die tandpyn is ernstig. = The toothache is serious.
• Die tandpyn is baie ernstig. = The toothache is very serious.

Baie means very / a lot depending on context.

That is a very natural way to intensify the sentence.

No, not in the way that languages like German or Dutch do.

Afrikaans does not normally make learners memorize nouns as masculine, feminine, or neuter for article purposes. That is one reason die is so useful: it works for all definite nouns.

So with tandpyn, you do not need to worry about grammatical gender.

A simple yes/no question would be:

Is die tandpyn ernstig?
= Is the toothache serious?

Notice that the verb is moves to the front. This is a very common Afrikaans question pattern.

Statement:

• Die tandpyn is ernstig.

Question:

• Is die tandpyn ernstig?