Twee aartappels en een ui lê nog langs die snyplank.

Een means one, while 'n means a/an.

So:

• een ui = one onion
• 'n ui = an onion

Because the sentence is clearly counting items — two potatoes and one onion — een is the better choice here. It matches twee and makes the list sound precise.

In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change form for singular or plural in the present tense.

So you get:

• Die ui lê = The onion lies / is lying
• Die aartappels lê = The potatoes lie / are lying
• Twee aartappels en een ui lê = Two potatoes and one onion are lying

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not usually add a special plural verb form here.

Lê literally means lie or be lying.

In this sentence it describes the position of the items: they are lying there, resting on a surface or in a place. Afrikaans often prefers this kind of position verb instead of just using is/are.

So lê here is more natural than a plain equivalent of are.

Afrikaans often uses position verbs to describe where things are:

• lê = lie
• staan = stand
• sit = sit
• hang = hang

For objects like potatoes and an onion lying beside a cutting board, lê is the natural choice.

English often says There are two potatoes..., but Afrikaans more often uses the physical position if it is relevant or obvious.

Here nog means still.

So lê nog langs die snyplank means are still lying next to the cutting board.

Depending on context, nog can also mean things like yet, another, or more, but in this sentence still is the right idea.

This is normal Afrikaans main-clause word order: the finite verb usually comes second.

The first slot is taken by the subject:

• Twee aartappels en een ui = first element
• lê = second element

Then the rest follows:

• nog langs die snyplank

If you moved another part to the front, the verb would still stay in second position:

• Langs die snyplank lê nog twee aartappels en een ui.

That second-position rule is very important in Afrikaans.

Langs means next to, beside, or alongside.

So langs die snyplank means next to the cutting board.

It does not mean on the cutting board.
If the items were on top of it, you would expect op die snyplank.

Yes. In Afrikaans, die is the definite article for both singular and plural nouns.

So:

• die ui = the onion
• die aartappels = the potatoes
• die snyplank = the cutting board

Afrikaans does not have different forms like English the versus something else for plural, and it also does not have grammatical gender articles like German or Dutch.

Afrikaans, like Dutch and German, very often forms compound nouns as a single word.

Here:

• sny = cut
• plank = board

Together, snyplank means cutting board.

This is very normal in Afrikaans. English often writes these combinations as two words, but Afrikaans usually joins them.

Aartappel becomes aartappels in the plural by adding -s.

So:

• een aartappel = one potato
• twee aartappels = two potatoes

Ui is singular. Its plural is uie:

• een ui = one onion
• twee uie = two onions

Afrikaans plurals are not all formed the same way, so it is worth learning them noun by noun.

These are both good words to pay attention to.

• ui has a vowel sound that many English speakers find difficult. There is no perfect English equivalent, so it is best learned by listening to native pronunciation.
• lê has a long vowel sound, and the ê helps show that. It is roughly like a long open e sound.

The circumflex in ê is a pronunciation clue. In practice, lê is a different sound from a plain short e.

Yes, absolutely.

Adding daar makes it more like:

• There are still two potatoes and one onion next to the cutting board

Both versions are natural, but they feel slightly different:

• Twee aartappels en een ui lê nog langs die snyplank.
  Focuses first on the items.
• Daar lê nog twee aartappels en een ui langs die snyplank.
  Feels more like introducing or pointing out what is there.

Both are good Afrikaans.