Die haarnet lê by die ontsmettingspunt.

Because die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

In this sentence:

• die haarnet = the hairnet
• die ontsmettingspunt = the disinfection/sanitizing point

Afrikaans uses die for all definite nouns, so it is normal to see it more than once in a sentence.

No. Afrikaans is much simpler here.

Die does not change for:

• masculine
• feminine
• neuter
• case

So a learner does not need to memorize different forms of the for different noun types. That is one reason Afrikaans grammar often feels easier than Dutch or German.

In Afrikaans, die can be both singular and plural.

So:

• die haarnet = the hairnet
• die haarnette = the hairnets

The article stays the same. You know whether it is singular or plural from the noun itself and from context.

Afrikaans often uses a position verb where English would simply use is.

Here, lê literally means lie or be lying. It is used for something that is physically lying somewhere, resting somewhere, or placed somewhere in a way that fits the idea of lying rather than standing.

So Die haarnet lê by die ontsmettingspunt sounds natural if the hairnet is physically there, lying there.

Compare some common Afrikaans position verbs:

• lê = lie / be lying
• staan = stand / be standing
• sit = sit / be situated
• hang = hang / be hanging

English often uses just is, but Afrikaans prefers these more specific verbs.

Yes, people would understand you, and it is not impossible Afrikaans. But it is usually less vivid and less idiomatic if you are talking about the physical position of an object.

Using lê is more natural when the item is actually lying there.

So:

• Die haarnet is by die ontsmettingspunt = understandable, more neutral
• Die haarnet lê by die ontsmettingspunt = more natural if you mean its physical location

The word lê is pronounced roughly like leh, but with a broader vowel than English lay.

A few helpful points:

• It is not pronounced exactly like English lay
• The ê shows a different vowel quality from plain e
• In careful speech, the vowel is usually a bit longer and more open

For an English speaker, a reasonable approximation is:

• lê ≈ leh with a slightly drawn-out vowel

You do not need a perfect accent at first; the main thing is to avoid making it sound like English lay.

Here by means by, near, or at, depending on the context.

So by die ontsmettingspunt means something like:

• by the disinfection point
• near the sanitizing station
• at the sanitizing point

Afrikaans by is very common and often covers meanings that English expresses with by, at, or sometimes with.

Because Afrikaans, like Dutch and German, often forms compound nouns as a single word.

Here:

• ontsmetting = disinfection / sanitizing
• punt = point / station / spot

Together:

• ontsmettingspunt = disinfection point or sanitizing point

This is very normal in Afrikaans. English often writes such ideas as separate words, but Afrikaans usually combines them into one noun.

The basic order is:

Subject + verb + rest

So:

• Die haarnet = subject
• lê = verb
• by die ontsmettingspunt = prepositional phrase showing location

That is a very standard Afrikaans main-clause pattern.

Also, Afrikaans follows the verb-second rule in main clauses. In this sentence, the subject comes first, so the verb comes right after it.

Yes.

You can say:

By die ontsmettingspunt lê die haarnet.

This is also correct. It puts more emphasis on the location.

Notice what happens:

• the location phrase moves to the front
• the verb lê still stays in second position
• the subject die haarnet comes after the verb

That verb-second pattern is very important in Afrikaans.

If there is more than one hairnet, you would usually say:

Die haarnette lê by die ontsmettingspunt.

Changes:

• haarnet → haarnette
• lê stays lê
• die stays die

If there are multiple sanitizing points, you could also have:

Die haarnette lê by die ontsmettingspunte.

So the plural is mostly shown on the noun, not on the article.