Bestanddelelyste is lank; hoe dit ook al sy, bepaal bestanddele raklewe.

Bestanddelelyste means ingredient lists.

The singular is bestanddelelys = ingredient list.

It is a compound noun:

• bestanddele = ingredients
• lys = list

Afrikaans usually writes compounds as one word, so instead of two separate words, you get bestanddelelys and bestanddelelyste.

No. In Afrikaans, is is used for both singular and plural in the present tense of to be.

So both of these are correct:

• Die lys is lank = The list is long
• Die lyste is lank = The lists are long

That is why Bestanddelelyste is lank is completely normal.

Lank means long, and like English long, it can describe things such as lists, speeches, documents, and delays, not just physical objects.

So Bestanddelelyste is lank means the lists are long in the sense that they contain many items or take up a lot of space in writing.

It is an idiomatic expression meaning something like:

• however
• be that as it may
• in any case
• anyway

Literally, it is roughly however that may be, but you should treat it as a set expression rather than translating each word mechanically.

In expressions like this, ook al helps create a concessive meaning such as however, no matter how, or even if that is so.

So hoe dit ook al sy does not mean how it also all is. That would be too literal and misleading. Here ook al is part of the idiom and helps give the sense of even so / be that as it may.

No. Here sy is not the possessive pronoun meaning his or her.

In this expression, sy comes from the verb wees = to be. So here it means be.

That is why hoe dit ook al sy feels similar to English be that as it may.

Because Afrikaans usually follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses.

Basic order:

• Bestanddele bepaal raklewe = Ingredients determine shelf life

But when another element is placed first, the finite verb comes before the subject:

• Hoe dit ook al sy, bepaal bestanddele raklewe

This is the same pattern you see in sentences like:

• Vandag koop ek brood = Today I am buying bread

So after the fronted phrase hoe dit ook al sy, the verb bepaal comes before the subject bestanddele.

Raklewe means shelf life.

It is another compound noun:

• rak = shelf
• lewe = life

Afrikaans normally writes compounds as one word, so English shelf life becomes raklewe.

Because the sentence is making a general statement, not referring to one specific list or one specific ingredient.

Compare:

• Bestanddelelyste is lank = Ingredient lists are long
• Bestanddele bepaal raklewe = Ingredients determine shelf life

This article-less style is common in Afrikaans when speaking generally, just as English can also say Ingredients determine shelf life without the.

Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to person or number in the present tense.

So you get:

• Die bestanddeel bepaal raklewe = The ingredient determines shelf life
• Die bestanddele bepaal raklewe = The ingredients determine shelf life

The verb stays bepaal in both cases. This is one reason Afrikaans verb conjugation is simpler than English.

The semicolon links two closely related statements:

• Bestanddelelyste is lank
• hoe dit ook al sy, bepaal bestanddele raklewe

It shows a stronger break than a comma, but a closer connection than a full stop.

The meaning is basically:

• Ingredient lists are long; however, ingredients determine shelf life.

Yes. A more straightforward version could be:

• Bestanddelelyste is lank, maar bestanddele bepaal raklewe.
• Bestanddelelyste is lank; egter bepaal bestanddele raklewe.

The original hoe dit ook al sy sounds a bit more formal or idiomatic, like be that as it may in English.