Die piesangs is vandag goedkoop, omdat daar 'n groot afslag is.

Yes. Die is the Afrikaans definite article, so it means the.

A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans does not change the word for gender or number here. So:

• die piesang = the banana
• die piesangs = the bananas

The same word die works in both cases.

The plural is shown by the ending -s.

So:

• piesang = banana
• piesangs = bananas

Afrikaans often forms plurals with -e or -s, depending on the word. In this case, piesang becomes piesangs.

Because Afrikaans uses is for the present tense of to be with all subjects.

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not say:

• I am
• you are
• they are

with different present-tense forms. Instead, it uses is across the board:

• Ek is = I am
• Jy is = you are
• Hulle is = they are

So Die piesangs is goedkoop is completely normal.

Vandag means today, and here it functions as a time adverb.

It tells you when the bananas are cheap:

• Die piesangs is goedkoop = the bananas are cheap
• Die piesangs is vandag goedkoop = the bananas are cheap today

In Afrikaans, adverbs like vandag often come after the verb, so this word order is very natural.

Because goedkoop comes after the verb is, where it works as a predicate adjective.

In Afrikaans:

• Attributive adjective: before a noun, often takes -e
• Predicate adjective: after a linking verb like is, usually stays unchanged

Compare:

• die goedkoop piesangs = the cheap bananas
• die piesangs is goedkoop = the bananas are cheap

So in your sentence, goedkoop stays in its basic form.

Because omdat introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans it is very common to separate that clause with a comma.

So the sentence has:

• main clause: Die piesangs is vandag goedkoop
• subordinate clause: omdat daar 'n groot afslag is

The comma helps show that the second part gives the reason.

Omdat means because.

It introduces a reason:

• Die piesangs is vandag goedkoop = statement
• omdat daar 'n groot afslag is = reason for that statement

A very important grammar point is that omdat causes subordinate-clause word order, which means the finite verb usually moves toward the end of the clause.

Because after omdat, Afrikaans uses subordinate-clause word order, where the finite verb goes to the end.

So:

• Main clause: Daar is 'n groot afslag
• After omdat: omdat daar 'n groot afslag is

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

You can think of it like this:

• normal statement: Daar is ...
• after omdat: ... daar ... is

Here, daar is the existential there, as in English there is or there are.

So:

• Daar is 'n groot afslag = There is a big discount

It does not mean a physical place here. It is just used to introduce the existence of something.

In the sentence omdat daar 'n groot afslag is, it means because there is a big discount.

In Afrikaans, the indefinite article is 'n, which corresponds to English a or an.

A few important points:

• It is written with an apostrophe: 'n
• It is usually pronounced like a weak schwa sound, similar to uh
• It stays lowercase even at the beginning of a sentence

So:

• 'n groot afslag = a big discount

This is one of the most distinctive spelling features in Afrikaans.

Because Afrikaans adjectives do not always take an extra ending.

Before a noun, many adjectives do take -e, but some common adjectives can appear without change in certain set patterns or depending on how the language naturally uses them. Groot afslag is the normal, natural combination here.

You will often learn adjective patterns gradually through exposure, because Afrikaans adjective inflection is simpler than in some languages, but not completely automatic in every case.

For this sentence, the important thing to remember is that 'n groot afslag is the correct form.

Yes. Afrikaans can also put the because clause first.

For example:

• Omdat daar 'n groot afslag is, is die piesangs vandag goedkoop.

When the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause follows with the verb in second position, so you get:

• ..., is die piesangs ...

That is a normal Afrikaans sentence pattern and a useful one to recognize.