Ons lees graag saam in die tuin.

Ons means we here.

A useful extra point: in Afrikaans, ons can mean both we and us, depending on its role in the sentence.

• Ons lees graag saam. = We like reading together / We read together gladly
• Hulle sien ons. = They see us

So in this sentence, because ons is the subject, it means we.

Afrikaans verbs are much simpler than English verbs. In the present tense, the verb usually does not change according to the subject.

So:

• ek lees = I read
• jy lees = you read
• ons lees = we read
• hulle lees = they read

That is why the sentence has lees, not a different form for ons.

Also, Afrikaans does not use a separate -ing form here the way English does. Depending on context, ons lees can translate as we read or we are reading.

Graag is a very common Afrikaans word that often expresses the idea of liking to do something, gladly, or with pleasure.

In this sentence:

• Ons lees graag = We like to read / We gladly read

English often uses like to, while Afrikaans often uses graag with a verb.

Compare:

• Ek eet graag brood. = I like eating bread.
• Sy swem graag. = She likes swimming.
• Ons lees graag. = We like reading.

So graag does not always translate with one single English word. Its meaning depends on the sentence.

Saam means together.

So:

• Ons lees graag saam = We like reading together

It tells you how the action happens: the people are reading together, not separately.

It is a very common word in Afrikaans:

• Kom saam. = Come along / Come with.
• Ons werk saam. = We work together.

This is normal Afrikaans word order for a main clause.

The basic structure is:

• Subject + verb + other information

So here:

• Ons = subject
• lees = verb
• graag saam = more information about how/with what feeling the action happens
• in die tuin = place

That gives:

• Ons lees graag saam in die tuin.

Afrikaans often places words like graag, saam, time expressions, and place expressions after the verb in a fairly natural flow. English learners sometimes want to translate word-for-word, but it is better to think of the sentence as following normal Afrikaans sentence order.

In die tuin means in the garden.

• in = in
• die = the
• tuin = garden

Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for all nouns, whether singular or plural in most ordinary cases.

So unlike languages that have different words for the depending on gender or number, Afrikaans is simpler:

• die boek = the book
• die huis = the house
• die tuin = the garden
• die boeke = the books

That is why you get in die tuin.

It can often be understood as We like to read together in the garden, because graag often adds the idea of liking/enjoying an action.

A very literal sense is something like:

• We gladly read together in the garden

But in natural English, that usually becomes:

• We like to read together in the garden

So if you already know the intended meaning, that is probably the best translation to remember.

Here is a simple English-speaker guide:

• ons — roughly like ons in bronze, but shorter
• lees — like lace, but with a clear s at the end
• graag — the gr starts with the Afrikaans g, which is a throaty sound not found in standard English; the vowel is long, somewhat like ah in father
• saam — roughly sahm
• in — short, like English in
• die — usually pronounced like dee
• tuin — this is harder; it has an Afrikaans diphthong not exactly like English. Many learners start with something between tane and town, but it is best learned by listening to native speech.

Two especially important pronunciation notes:

1. g in Afrikaans is usually a guttural, throaty sound.
2. die is dee, not like English die.

Yes, Afrikaans can change the order for emphasis, but then the verb still stays in the usual second position in a main clause.

For example:

• In die tuin lees ons graag saam.

This still means the same thing, but now in die tuin is emphasized.

Notice what happens:

• the sentence starts with In die tuin
• the verb lees comes next
• then the subject ons

That verb-second pattern is very important in Afrikaans main clauses.

Because Afrikaans often expresses that idea differently from English.

English says:

• We like to read

Afrikaans often says:

• Ons lees graag

So instead of using a verb like like plus to read, Afrikaans often uses the main verb directly with graag.

There is also another possible Afrikaans structure:

• Ons hou daarvan om saam in die tuin te lees.

That also means We like to read together in the garden, but it is longer and more explicitly built around like. In everyday Afrikaans, graag is often the simpler and more natural choice.

Usually tuin means garden, but in real usage it can sometimes overlap a bit with what English speakers might call a yard, depending on context.

Still, the safest basic meaning to learn is:

• tuin = garden

If you are learning vocabulary, that is the best starting point.

Afrikaans usually uses a double negative with nie ... nie.

So:

• Ons lees graag saam in die tuin.
  becomes
• Ons lees nie graag saam in die tuin nie.

That means:

• We do not like reading together in the garden
  or
• We do not read together in the garden willingly/with pleasure

The important pattern is:

• first nie goes after the verb or later in the clause, depending on structure
• second nie goes at the end of the clause

This double-nie pattern is one of the most distinctive features of Afrikaans.

You might hear different word orders in real speech, but Ons lees graag saam in die tuin is the most natural standard version for a learner to copy.

Why?

Because graag is closely linked to the verb lees, and saam naturally follows as an adverb meaning together.

So this order feels smooth and idiomatic:

• Ons lees graag saam in die tuin.

A learner should treat that as the safest model sentence.