Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: My kollega lees dieselfde nota op sy skerm in die biblioteek. - My colleague reads the same note on his screen in the library.

kollega means “colleague” or “co-worker.” Afrikaans nouns generally have no grammatical gender, and kollega can refer to a male or female colleague without any change in form.

Why do we say dieselfde nota instead of adding die or ’n before it?

dieselfde is a demonstrative determiner meaning “the same.” It functions like a built-in article or adjective, so you do not pair it with die (the) or ’n (a).
Example: dieselfde huis = “the same house” (not die dieselfde huis).

What part of speech is dieselfde, and where does it go in the sentence?

dieselfde is a determiner/adjective meaning “same.” In Afrikaans you place it directly before the noun it modifies, just as in English:
Subject – Verb – dieselfde + Noun – (rest)
My kollega lees dieselfde nota …

Why is sy used in op sy skerm? Could it ever mean “she”?

Here sy is the possessive pronoun “his.” In Afrikaans:

sy before a noun = his
haar before a noun = her
(“sy” as a standalone subject pronoun means “she,” but when it directly precedes a noun, it’s always “his.”)

Why is the preposition op used in op sy skerm instead of aan?

op corresponds to English “on,” indicating location atop a surface.
aan often corresponds to “against,” “at,” or “to,” but not “on” in the sense of something displayed on a screen.
So you read op ’n skerm, but you sit aan ’n tafel.

Why isn’t there a continuous form like “is reading” in Afrikaans?

Afrikaans does not have a distinct progressive tense. You use the simple present to cover both English’s “reads” and “is reading.” Context will tell you whether the action is habitual or ongoing.

Is the word order in My kollega lees dieselfde nota op sy skerm in die biblioteek always Subject-Verb-Object-Adverbial?

Yes, the basic Afrikaans word order is S-V-O, and adverbial phrases (time, manner, place) follow after the object.
You could rearrange the place phrase for emphasis:
“In die biblioteek lees my kollega dieselfde nota op sy skerm,”
but the core S-V-O order remains.