Wanneer die aartappels gaar is, kan ons eet.

Because wanneer introduces a subordinate clause in Afrikaans. In subordinate clauses, the finite verb often moves to the end.

So:

• Wanneer die aartappels gaar is = When the potatoes are cooked

Compare that with a main clause:

• Die aartappels is gaar = The potatoes are cooked

This verb-final pattern after words like wanneer is very common in Afrikaans.

Gaar usually means cooked, done, or ready through cooking.

With food, it often means that it has been cooked enough and is ready to eat. So:

• Die aartappels is gaar = The potatoes are cooked / done

It is not the usual word for a person being “ready” in a general sense. It is especially common for food.

The comma separates the subordinate clause from the main clause:

• Wanneer die aartappels gaar is, = subordinate clause
• kan ons eet. = main clause

This is standard in Afrikaans when a clause introduced by wanneer comes first.

Afrikaans usually uses verb-second word order in main clauses. When something else comes first—here, the whole clause Wanneer die aartappels gaar is—the finite verb comes before the subject in the main clause.

So the structure is:

• first element: Wanneer die aartappels gaar is
• finite verb: kan
• subject: ons
• rest: eet

That is why it is:

• Wanneer die aartappels gaar is, kan ons eet.

If the sentence started directly with the subject, then you would get:

• Ons kan eet wanneer die aartappels gaar is.

Both are correct, but the word order changes.

Not always. Wanneer is a common translation of when, especially in more neutral or formal usage.

In everyday Afrikaans, as is also often used where English uses when:

• As die aartappels gaar is, kan ons eet.

This can sound very natural in speech.
So:

• wanneer = when
• as = if / when, depending on context

Learners should be aware that as is very common in real Afrikaans.

Yes. Die means the here.

Afrikaans uses die for both singular and plural definite nouns:

• die aartappel = the potato
• die aartappels = the potatoes

Unlike English, the form does not change between singular and plural.

The plural ending is -s here:

• aartappel = potato
• aartappels = potatoes

Many Afrikaans nouns form the plural with -e or -s, depending on the word.
This one takes -s.

Because eet is being used as a bare infinitive after the modal verb kan.

After modal verbs like kan (can), Afrikaans usually uses the infinitive without te:

• Ek kan eet = I can eat
• Ons kan gaan = We can go

So kan ons eet is completely normal.

Kan is a modal verb meaning can or be able to.

In this sentence:

• kan ons eet = we can eat

It expresses possibility or ability. In context, it means something like we can eat once the potatoes are ready.

Yes, definitely.

That version is also correct:

• Ons kan eet wanneer die aartappels gaar is.

The meaning is basically the same. The difference is emphasis and word order:

• Wanneer die aartappels gaar is, kan ons eet.
  Emphasizes the time condition first.
• Ons kan eet wanneer die aartappels gaar is.
  Starts with the main idea: we can eat.

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

• aartappels ≈ AHR-tah-puls
• gaar ≈ khaar or gahr with a harsher throat sound than English g

A few notes:

• The aa is a long vowel, a bit like the a in father.
• The g in Afrikaans is usually not like the English g in go. It is often a throaty sound.
• The r may be rolled or tapped depending on the speaker.

If you want to sound natural, the hardest part is usually the Afrikaans g.

Yes, functionally it works that way.

In a main clause:

• Die aartappels is gaar. = The potatoes are cooked.

So gaar is like the adjective cooked/done, and is is the verb are/is.

In the subordinate clause, the order changes:

• Wanneer die aartappels gaar is

But the basic idea is still the potatoes are cooked.

Usually, yes.

• ons = we / us / our, depending on how it is used

In this sentence, ons is the subject, so it means we:

• kan ons eet = can we eat / we can eat, depending on sentence structure

Here it clearly means we.

Afrikaans is simpler than English in this respect. The verb wees (to be) has a present-tense form is for all persons.

So you get:

• Ek is = I am
• Jy is = you are
• Hy is = he is
• Ons is = we are
• Hulle is = they are

That is why is appears with aartappels, even though aartappels is plural.

Yes.

It can be used:

1. As a question word:

   • Wanneer eet ons?
   • When are we eating?

2. As a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause:

   • Wanneer die aartappels gaar is, kan ons eet.
   • When the potatoes are cooked, we can eat.

So the same word can do both jobs, just like English when.