Die spyskaart sê watter sop vandag beskikbaar is.

Yes. In this sentence, die means the.

Afrikaans does not usually distinguish between the for singular and plural, so die can mean:

• the menu → die spyskaart
• the soups → die soppe

Unlike English, Afrikaans also does not change the article for gender. So die is a very common word.

Yes. Spyskaart means menu, and it is a compound noun.

It is made up of:

• spys = food, dish, fare
• kaart = card

So historically it is something like food-card, but in normal usage it simply means menu.

Sê means say or tell.

In this sentence, Die spyskaart sê ... literally means The menu says ..., just like English can say:

• The menu says which soup is available today
• The sign says...
• The label says...

So Afrikaans uses sê very naturally with written information too, not only with spoken words.

Because watter means which, while wat usually means what or that/which in some other structures.

Here the sentence is talking about a choice from a set of soups, so which soup is the right idea:

• watter sop = which soup

Compare:

• Wat is dit? = What is that?
• Watter sop wil jy hê? = Which soup do you want?

So in this sentence, watter is the correct question word because it points to selection.

Because after sê you get a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses often push the finite verb to the end.

Main clause:

• Die spyskaart sê = The menu says

Subordinate clause:

• watter sop vandag beskikbaar is = which soup is available today

This final is is very normal in Afrikaans subordinate clauses.

Compare:

• Die man is moeg. = The man is tired.
• Ek sien dat die man moeg is. = I see that the man is tired.

So the ending is is a grammar pattern, not something unusual about this sentence.

Because that word order sounds more like a direct question pattern mixed into the sentence.

In a subordinate clause after sê, standard Afrikaans prefers the verb-final pattern:

• watter sop vandag beskikbaar is

That is the normal embedded-clause order.

A learner can think of it like this:

• direct question: Watter sop is vandag beskikbaar?
• embedded statement: Die spyskaart sê watter sop vandag beskikbaar is.

So the sentence uses the embedded form, not the direct-question form.

Beskikbaar means available.

In this sentence:

• vandag beskikbaar = available today

It is an adjective, but with is it works much like English available in is available.

Examples:

• Die kamer is beskikbaar. = The room is available.
• Die boek is nie beskikbaar nie. = The book is not available.

Vandag means today, and here it tells you when the soup is available.

So:

• watter sop vandag beskikbaar is = which soup is available today

It is modifying the idea of being available, not soup itself.

In other words, it means:

• not today’s soup
• but the soup that is available today

Yes. Sop is singular and usually becomes soppe in the plural.

• sop = soup
• soppe = soups

Examples:

• Die sop is warm. = The soup is warm.
• Die soppe is warm. = The soups are warm.

In your sentence, watter sop is singular, so it means which soup.

A direct question would be:

• Watter sop is vandag beskikbaar?

That means Which soup is available today?

This helps show the difference between:

• direct question: Watter sop is vandag beskikbaar?
• embedded clause: Die spyskaart sê watter sop vandag beskikbaar is.

So the original sentence is not asking the question directly; it is reporting what the menu says.

A rough English-friendly guide:

• die ≈ dee
• spyskaart ≈ spice-kaart
  
  • spys sounds roughly like English spice without the final strong s
  • kaart sounds like cart, but often a bit longer
• sê ≈ like say, but with a slightly different vowel quality
• watter ≈ vut-er or vot-er depending on accent, with w often sounding closer to English v
• sop ≈ sawp or sop with a short rounded vowel
• vandag ≈ fun-DAKH or fun-dakh, with the final g being a throat sound
• beskikbaar ≈ buh-SKIKE-baar or beh-SKIKE-baar
• is = iss

Two especially useful pronunciation notes for English speakers:

1. Afrikaans w often sounds closer to English v.
2. Afrikaans g is often a guttural throat sound, not an English g.

Yes, that can work too, but the nuance is slightly different.

• sê = says
• wys = shows

So:

• Die spyskaart sê watter sop vandag beskikbaar is = The menu says which soup is available today
• Die spyskaart wys watter sop vandag beskikbaar is = The menu shows which soup is available today

Both are natural, but sê focuses on the information as something stated, while wys focuses on it as something displayed.