Die hond slaap onder die tafel.

The dog sleeps under the table.

Breakdown of Die hond slaap onder die tafel.

• die hond: the dog
• die tafel: the table
• slaap: to sleep
• onder: under

Questions & Answers about Die hond slaap onder die tafel.

Why is die used before both hond and tafel?

Die is the definite article in Afrikaans, meaning the. Unlike English, Afrikaans uses the same definite article for all genders, numbers, and cases. So you always say die hond (“the dog”) and die tafel (“the table”).

What tense is slaap? Why isn’t it “is sleeping” or “slept”?

Afrikaans uses a single present-tense form for all persons. Slaap can mean “sleep,” “sleeps,” or “is sleeping,” depending on context. To stress that the dog is in the middle of sleeping, you could say is besig om te slaap (“is busy sleeping”), but plain slaap is enough for simple present.

What is the word order in this sentence?

It’s a standard SVO (Subject–Verb–Object) structure with an adverbial/prepositional phrase at the end:
Subject = Die hond
Verb = slaap
Adverbial/prepositional phrase = onder die tafel

Can I start the sentence with Onder die tafel instead?

Yes. Afrikaans allows topicalization by placing a phrase in front:
Onder die tafel slaap die hond.
You still follow the V2 rule (verb stays in second position), so slaap remains the second element.