Die kassier vra of ek kontant het, maar ek wys vir haar die beursie waarin daar net kleingeld is.

Die kassier vra means the cashier asks.

• die kassier = the cashier
• vra = asks / ask

In Afrikaans, the present tense verb often looks the same as the dictionary form, so vra can mean ask or asks depending on the subject.

So:

• Ek vra = I ask
• Die kassier vra = The cashier asks

Here of means whether / if.

So Die kassier vra of ek kontant het means:

• The cashier asks whether I have cash
• or more naturally in English, The cashier asks if I have cash

This is very common in Afrikaans after verbs like vra when introducing an indirect yes/no question.

Examples:

• Hy vra of ek reg is. = He asks if I am okay.
• Sy vra of ons tyd het. = She asks whether we have time.

Because in Afrikaans, an indirect question usually sends the finite verb to the end of the clause.

So:

• direct statement: Ek het kontant. = I have cash.
• indirect question: ... of ek kontant het. = ... whether I have cash.

This is one of the most important word-order patterns in Afrikaans.

You will often see:

• Ek weet dat hy kom. = I know that he is coming.
• Sy vra of hy kom. = She asks if he is coming.

Notice how kom goes to the end after of.

Yes. Kontant means cash.

So ek kontant het means I have cash.

It refers to money in the form of notes and coins, not a card payment.

Maar means but.

It connects the two parts of the sentence:

• Die kassier vra of ek kontant het
• maar ek wys vir haar ...

So the idea is:

The cashier asks if I have cash, but I show her ...

It introduces a contrast: the cashier asks about cash, but the speaker responds by showing something that suggests they do not really have useful cash available.

In ek wys vir haar, vir haar means to her.

• ek = I
• wys = show
• vir haar = to her

Afrikaans often uses vir before a person who is the indirect object.

So:

• Ek wys vir haar die beursie. = I show her the wallet/purse.
• literally: I show to her the wallet/purse.

This is very common with people:

• Ek gee vir hom die boek. = I give him the book.
• Sy sê vir my dankie. = She says thank you to me.

In everyday Afrikaans, vir is often used very naturally before people.

Yes, you may hear or see that, but Ek wys vir haar die beursie is very common and natural Afrikaans.

Using vir makes the indirect object especially clear, particularly when it refers to a person.

For learners, wys vir haar, gee vir hom, sê vir my, and similar patterns are very useful and idiomatic to remember.

Beursie usually means purse, wallet, or coin purse, depending on context.

In this sentence, because it contains net kleingeld (only small change), beursie probably refers to a purse or wallet containing money.

So the exact English word can vary a little, but the main idea is a small personal money-holder.

Waarin means in which.

It is made from:

• waar
  • in

Afrikaans often combines a preposition with waar- to form words like this:

• waarin = in which
• waarop = on which
• waarmee = with which
• waarvoor = for which

So:

die beursie waarin daar net kleingeld is
= the purse/wallet in which there is only small change

This is a very common pattern in written and careful Afrikaans.

The daar here is an anticipatory or structural there, much like English there is.

So:

• daar is net kleingeld = there is only small change

When this is placed inside the relative clause, you get:

• waarin daar net kleingeld is
  = in which there is only small change

The daar is not referring to a place in the usual sense. It is part of the expression daar is = there is / there are.

Because this is a subordinate clause.

In Afrikaans, subordinate clauses usually put the finite verb at the end. Since waarin introduces a relative clause, the verb moves to the end:

• main clause: Daar is net kleingeld daarin.
• relative clause: ... waarin daar net kleingeld is.

This verb-final pattern is very common after words like:

• dat
• of
• omdat
• terwyl
• and relative words like waarin

Kleingeld means small change, usually coins or low-value money.

It is made up of:

• klein = small
• geld = money

So net kleingeld means only small change.

This suggests the speaker does not really have proper cash for payment, or at least not enough useful cash.

Net here means only / just.

So:

• net kleingeld = only small change

Be careful: net can also mean neat in some contexts, but here it clearly means only.

Examples:

• Ek het net een rand. = I only have one rand.
• Daar is net water. = There is only water.

Yes. Die is the definite article in Afrikaans and is used for:

• singular: die kassier = the cashier
• singular: die beursie = the purse/wallet
• plural: die kassiers = the cashiers

So unlike English, Afrikaans does not change the definite article for number. It is always die.

Yes — this sentence is a great example of how Afrikaans handles main clauses and subordinate clauses.

Main clauses

In main clauses, the verb usually comes early:

• Die kassier vra ...
• maar ek wys ...

Subordinate clauses

In subordinate clauses, the finite verb usually goes to the end:

• of ek kontant het
• waarin daar net kleingeld is

So the sentence has this structure:

• main clause: Die kassier vra ...
• subordinate clause: of ek kontant het
• main clause: maar ek wys vir haar ...
• relative clause: waarin daar net kleingeld is

If you understand that pattern, a lot of Afrikaans sentences become much easier to read.

Yes, it sounds natural. The tone is neutral and conversational.

It describes an everyday situation:

• a cashier asks about cash
• the speaker shows a purse/wallet
• it contains only small change

The sentence is slightly detailed because of the relative clause waarin daar net kleingeld is, but it is still normal Afrikaans. In more casual speech, someone might choose a simpler wording, but this version is perfectly good and clear.