Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: Die dokter sê goeie gesondheid is belangrik. - The doctor says good health is important.

In Afrikaans die is the only definite article, equivalent to English “the.” It does not change for gender, number or case—it’s always die for both singular and plural (e.g. die boek “the book,” die boeke “the books”).

Why is the adjective goeie ending in -e, rather than just goed?

Afrikaans uses an -e ending on adjectives when they directly precede a noun (this is called the attributive form). So “goed” (good) becomes goeie before “gesondheid.” In predicative position (after a linking verb) you drop the -e:
Die gesondheid is goed.

Why doesn’t the sentence include dat after sê?

Unlike Dutch, Afrikaans often omits the conjunction dat (“that”) after verbs like sê, denk, weet. When you leave out dat, the clause that follows still keeps normal subject-verb order:
Die dokter sê goeie gesondheid is belangrik.
You could include dat without changing meaning:
Die dokter sê dat goeie gesondheid belangrik is.

In the clause goeie gesondheid is belangrik, why is the word order subject-verb-adjective rather than verb-subject?

Because this is a content clause (the doctor’s statement), and Afrikaans keeps the finite verb in second position (V2) like a main clause. Here goeie gesondheid (subject) comes first, is (verb) second, and belangrik (adjective complement) third.

Why is the verb spelled sê with an accent, and how do you pronounce it?

The accent on sê marks a long /eː/ vowel and distinguishes it from the possessive se (e.g. Sy se boek “her book”). You pronounce sê roughly like English “say” but with a pure /eː/ vowel: [seː].

Why doesn’t the adjective belangrik take an -e ending, like goeie does?

Belangrik is in predicative position (it follows the linking verb is), so it stays in its base form without -e. Only attributive adjectives (directly before a noun) get the -e.

Does die ever function as something other than “the,” for example “that”?

Yes. In Afrikaans die can also be a relative pronoun meaning “that” or “which,” as in “Die boek wat ek lees, is interessant” (“The book that I’m reading is interesting”). Context and word order tell you whether die is an article or a relative pronoun.