Dit is die tafel waarop ek my boek plaas.

Waarop is a relative prepositional word meaning on which in this sentence.

It is built from:

• waar = a relative element used in words like where / which / that in certain structures
• op = on

So:

• die tafel waarop ek my boek plaas = the table on which I place my book

Afrikaans often uses this kind of one-word form instead of separating the preposition and the relative word.

In standard Afrikaans, when a preposition belongs with a relative clause, it is very common to combine it with waar:

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

So after die tafel, Afrikaans naturally says:

• die tafel waarop ek my boek plaas

rather than die tafel op wat ek my boek plaas, which is not the normal standard form here.

Because Afrikaans often expresses which + preposition with a single combined form like waarop.

English says:

• the table on which ...

Afrikaans packages that idea into:

• die tafel waarop ...

So waarop is doing the work that English spreads across on which.

Because waarop ek my boek plaas is a subordinate clause (more specifically, a relative clause), and in Afrikaans the conjugated verb usually goes to the end of a subordinate clause.

Compare:

• Main clause: Ek plaas my boek op die tafel.
• Relative clause: ... waarop ek my boek plaas.

This verb-final pattern is very important in Afrikaans.

Dit is means this is or it is, depending on context.

Here it introduces and identifies the noun:

• Dit is die tafel ... = This is the table ...

In everyday speech, Dit is is often shortened to Dis:

• Dis die tafel waarop ek my boek plaas.

That is very common and natural in spoken Afrikaans.

No. Afrikaans does not use different definite articles for grammatical gender.

Die is the normal definite article for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all genders

So:

• die tafel = the table
• die boek = the book
• die boeke = the books

This is much simpler than in many other Germanic languages.

Here my is the possessive adjective meaning my:

• my boek = my book

Afrikaans also uses my as the object pronoun me, so the spelling is the same. The sentence structure tells you which meaning it has.

In this sentence:

• ek my boek plaas

the word my comes directly before a noun, boek, so it must be possessive:

• my boek = my book

Yes, plaas can mean place or put, and it works well here.

However, depending on context, Afrikaans speakers may also use other verbs, especially in everyday speech, such as:

• sit
• neersit

For example:

• Dit is die tafel waarop ek my boek neersit.

That can sound more specifically like put down.
Plaas is perfectly correct, but it can sound a bit more neutral or slightly formal than some everyday alternatives.

It is normally written as one word.

Afrikaans commonly writes these combinations as single words:

• waarop
• waarin
• waaroor
• waarvan
• waarmee

So in this sentence, waarop should not be split.

Yes. A more formal or standard written version is:

• Dit is die tafel waarop ek my boek plaas.

In more conversational Afrikaans, you may also hear a structure like:

• Dit is die tafel waar ek my boek op plaas.

That is more colloquial.
For learners, waarop is a very useful and correct standard form to know.

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change much according to the subject.

So the present-tense verb often stays the same:

• ek plaas
• jy plaas
• hy plaas
• ons plaas

This is one reason Afrikaans verb grammar is often easier for English speakers than some other languages.