Ek draai regs by die kruising.

Word by word:

• Ek = I
• draai = turn
• regs = right
• by = at / by
• die = the
• kruising = intersection / crossing

So the sentence is literally something like I turn right at the intersection.

Afrikaans verbs usually do not change form depending on the subject.

So:

• Ek draai = I turn
• Jy draai = you turn
• Hy draai = he turns
• Ons draai = we turn

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not add an -s for he/she/it in the present tense. That makes verb conjugation much simpler.

In this sentence, draai means turn in the sense of changing direction.

Examples:

• Ek draai links. = I turn left.
• Ons draai om. = We turn around.

Depending on context, draai can also mean things like rotate, spin, or twist, but in road/direction language it usually means turn.

Regs is the normal Afrikaans word for right when talking about direction.

Examples:

• links = left
• regs = right
• Hou regs. = Keep right.
• Draai regs. = Turn right.

Regter is a different word; it usually means judge. So for directions, you want regs.

Yes. Both are possible.

• Ek draai regs by die kruising.
• Ek draai na regs by die kruising.

Both mean I turn right at the intersection.

Often, regs by itself is very natural and common. Na regs can feel a little more explicit, like to the right. In everyday speech, the shorter form is very common.

By often means at, by, or near, depending on context.

So by die kruising means at the intersection.

This is natural Afrikaans for location in this kind of sentence:

• Ek stop by die winkel. = I stop at the shop.
• Ons wag by die deur. = We wait by the door.

In English, learners may expect something more literally like at the intersection, but Afrikaans commonly uses by here.

Die means the.

A useful thing for English speakers: Afrikaans does not have different forms like masculine/feminine/neuter the. It just uses die for all nouns.

Examples:

• die man = the man
• die vrou = the woman
• die huis = the house
• die kruising = the intersection

So die is nice and simple.

Yes. This is standard word order for a simple main clause:

• Ek = subject
• draai = verb
• regs = adverb/direction
• by die kruising = place phrase

So the pattern is basically:

Subject + verb + rest

That is very common in Afrikaans main clauses.

Afrikaans typically uses a double nie in negative sentences.

So:

• Ek draai regs by die kruising. = I turn right at the intersection.
• Ek draai nie regs by die kruising nie. = I do not turn right at the intersection.

The basic pattern is often:

subject + verb + nie + rest + nie

That double nie is a very important Afrikaans feature.

In a yes/no question, Afrikaans usually puts the verb first:

• Draai ek regs by die kruising? = Do I turn right at the intersection?

If you want to ask someone else:

• Draai jy regs by die kruising? = Do you turn right at the intersection?

So the normal statement Ek draai ... becomes Draai ek ...? in a question.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

KROY-sing or KROU-sing, depending on accent and how narrowly you hear it.

A few pronunciation notes:

• krui- has a vowel sound a bit like the oy in boy
• the s is just s
• -ing is pronounced clearly, not like English -ing with a weak ending

Also, the r in Afrikaans is usually more rolled or tapped than in many English accents.

Not necessarily. Kruising is a common and correct word for intersection or crossing.

You may also see related words in other contexts, such as:

• kruispad = crossroads / crossing roads
• robot = traffic light, in South African usage

But for the sentence at the intersection, by die kruising is perfectly normal and useful.

You can keep the same structure and swap out the direction:

• Ek draai links by die kruising. = I turn left at the intersection.
• Ek draai by die kruising om. = I turn around at the intersection.
• Ek ry reguit by die kruising. = I go straight at the intersection.

So the sentence is a good pattern you can reuse.