Sy raadpleeg die naslaanwerk en bevestig die raknommer.

In this sentence, Sy means she.

Afrikaans sy can mean two different things:

• sy = she
• sy = his

You tell the difference from the sentence structure:

• Sy raadpleeg ... → here Sy is followed by a verb, so it is the subject pronoun she
• sy boek → here sy is followed by a noun, so it means his

So in Sy raadpleeg die naslaanwerk ..., Sy must mean she.

Afrikaans verbs do not change form the way English verbs often do.

In English, you say:

• I consult
• you consult
• she consults

In Afrikaans, the verb usually stays the same:

• Ek raadpleeg
• jy raadpleeg
• sy raadpleeg

So raadpleeg is the correct form with sy. The same is true for bevestig.

Raadpleeg means consult, refer to, or look up in depending on context.

It is a fairly standard and somewhat formal word. You often use it when someone:

• consults a person
• consults a book or source
• refers to information

In this sentence, it suggests that she is checking information in a source, not just casually glancing at it.

Naslaanwerk is a compound noun. It refers to reference material or a reference work.

It comes from the idea of looking something up:

• naslaan = to look up
• werk = work

Together, naslaanwerk can mean something like:

• a reference book
• reference material
• a work used for checking facts

Depending on context, it could be a dictionary, manual, catalog, directory, or similar source.

Yes, here die means the.

Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for both singular and plural nouns:

• die boek = the book
• die boeke = the books

So:

• die naslaanwerk = the reference work / the reference material
• die raknommer = the shelf number

Unlike some other languages, Afrikaans does not have different forms of the for grammatical gender.

Yes, raknommer is also a compound noun:

• rak = shelf
• nommer = number

So raknommer literally means shelf number.

Afrikaans makes a lot of compound nouns, just like Dutch and German, and often like English too. Once you get used to them, they become easier to recognize.

Because they are two main verbs joined by en = and.

The structure is simply:

• Sy raadpleeg die naslaanwerk
• en bevestig die raknommer

The subject Sy applies to both verbs. In English, we do the same thing:

• She consults the reference work and confirms the shelf number.

There is no need for an extra marker before bevestig.

Afrikaans often leaves out the repeated subject when the same subject does both actions.

So instead of saying:

• Sy raadpleeg die naslaanwerk en sy bevestig die raknommer

it is more natural to say:

• Sy raadpleeg die naslaanwerk en bevestig die raknommer

English does this too:

• She consults the reference work and confirms the shelf number.

The basic word order is normal main-clause Afrikaans word order:

Subject + Verb + Object

So:

• Sy = subject
• raadpleeg = verb
• die naslaanwerk = object
• en bevestig = second coordinated verb
• die raknommer = object of the second verb

Afrikaans main clauses are often very close to English in this kind of sentence.

Yes, very much so.

Bevestig means confirm, verify, or make sure of, depending on context.

So bevestig die raknommer means she is checking or confirming that the shelf number is correct.

It can be used in many contexts:

• Ek bevestig die afspraak = I confirm the appointment
• Hulle bevestig die besonderhede = They confirm the details

A more everyday alternative might use slaan ... na or another simpler verb, depending on context.

For example, learners may also come across forms like:

• Sy slaan die inligting na
• Sy kyk die inligting na

But raadpleeg is perfectly correct and often more formal or precise. It sounds suitable for written language or formal situations.

So the original sentence is good Afrikaans; it is just a bit more formal than very casual speech.

A rough English-friendly guide:

• raadpleeg ≈ RAHT-plekh
• naslaanwerk ≈ NAH-slahn-verk
• raknommer ≈ RAK-nom-er

A few helpful notes:

• aa is usually a long ah sound
• ee is usually a long ay-type sound
• g in Afrikaans is not like English g in go; it is a harsher throat sound
• w is usually like English v

So naslaanwerk may sound less like English work than you expect, because the w is closer to v.

Here it is grammatically singular because the form is naslaanwerk, not a plural form.

However, the meaning can still feel broad or collective, a bit like English reference material. So depending on context, it may refer to:

• one reference book
• one source
• reference material as a category

That is why the exact English translation can vary slightly even when the Afrikaans is unchanged.