Vanmiddag sal ons dalk braai as die wind stil bly.

Afrikaans main clauses normally follow a verb-second pattern. That means the finite verb goes in position 2, even if something else comes first.

In this sentence:

Vanmiddag sal ons dalk braai ...

• Vanmiddag = first element
• sal = finite verb, so it must come second
• ons = subject

So even though English says This afternoon we will..., Afrikaans puts sal right after Vanmiddag.

If you started with the subject instead, you would get:

Ons sal vanmiddag dalk braai ...

That is also correct.

Sal is the usual Afrikaans future marker, roughly like will in English.

So:

• sal braai = will barbecue / will have a braai

It can sometimes also sound a little like shall in older or more formal English explanations, but for learners, will is the best match.

Because sal is a modal/future helper verb, and the main verb goes later in the clause.

In Afrikaans, with sal, the basic pattern is:

subject + sal + ... + main verb

So:

• ons sal braai
• ons sal dalk braai
• vanmiddag sal ons dalk braai

That final braai is the main action.

This is similar to Germanic word order patterns, though English usually keeps the main verb closer: we will barbecue.

Dalk means maybe, perhaps, or possibly.

In this sentence:

Vanmiddag sal ons dalk braai ...

it softens the statement, so it means something like:

• we might barbecue
• we will perhaps have a braai

Its position is very natural here: after ons and before the main verb braai.

You may also see dalk in other places depending on emphasis, but this position is very common and idiomatic.

Here it is a verb.

So braai here means:

• to barbecue
• to grill
• or more culturally, to have a braai

Afrikaans uses braai both as a noun and a verb:

• Ons braai vanmiddag. = We’re having a braai this afternoon.
• Die braai is warm. = The barbecue/grill is hot.

In your sentence, after sal and as the main action, it is clearly verbal.

Yes, as can have different meanings depending on context.

Here:

as die wind stil bly

means if the wind stays calm.

So in this sentence, as is a conjunction meaning if.

Afrikaans as can also appear in comparisons, but here the structure clearly shows a condition:

• We might barbecue if the wind stays calm.

So this is not the comparison as; it is the conditional if.

Because this is a subordinate clause introduced by as.

In Afrikaans subordinate clauses, the verb typically goes to the end.

So:

• as die wind stil bly
• literally: if the wind calm stays/remains

That final placement of bly is normal Afrikaans subordinate-clause word order.

Compare:

• Main clause: Die wind bly stil.
• Subordinate clause: ... as die wind stil bly.

It means stay or remain.

So:

die wind stil bly = the wind stays/remains calm

This is a very common use of bly in Afrikaans: not live, but remain in a certain state.

Examples:

• Bly stil. = Stay quiet.
• Die water bly koud. = The water stays cold.

Here, the idea is that the wind continues to be calm.

Stil literally means still, quiet, or calm, depending on context.

With weather and wind, stil often means calm:

• Die wind is stil. = The wind is calm.

Then stil bly means stay calm / remain calm.

So Afrikaans expresses this naturally with:

• adjective/adverb: stil
• verb: bly

Together: stil bly = remain calm/still

Afrikaans often uses the definite article die in places where English may or may not use the.

So:

die wind = the wind

In a sentence about the current weather conditions, die wind sounds very natural. English also often says the wind in such cases, even if learners sometimes think of it more generally as just wind.

Yes. Vanmiddag is flexible.

Your sentence has:

Vanmiddag sal ons dalk braai ...

But you could also say:

Ons sal vanmiddag dalk braai ...

Both are correct. The difference is mainly emphasis:

• Vanmiddag first = emphasis on this afternoon
• Ons first = more neutral, subject-first sentence

Because Afrikaans keeps the finite verb in second position, moving vanmiddag changes what comes before sal, but sal still stays second.

Yes, sometimes, but the meaning and tone can shift a little.

• sal braai = will/might barbecue
• gaan braai = often more like going to barbecue

So:

Vanmiddag gaan ons dalk braai ...

is possible and natural in many contexts.

But your original sentence with sal is a very standard way to express the future.

Yes, it is completely natural.

Vanmiddag sal ons dalk braai as die wind stil bly.

It sounds like normal everyday Afrikaans and has very typical features:

• time expression first: Vanmiddag
• future marker in second position: sal
• modal adverb: dalk
• main verb later: braai
• subordinate clause with final verb: as die wind stil bly

So it is a very good example of ordinary spoken and written Afrikaans.