In die herfs dra sy 'n warm trui wanneer die wind sterker word.

Afrikaans main clauses normally follow the verb-second rule. That means the finite verb comes in the second position.

So in:

In die herfs | dra | sy 'n warm trui

the time phrase In die herfs comes first, so the verb dra must come next, and the subject sy comes after that.

You could also say:

Sy dra 'n warm trui in die herfs ...

That is also correct, but it puts less emphasis on in autumn.

Here, dra means wear.

Afrikaans dra can also mean carry, so context matters. In this sentence, because the object is 'n warm trui, the meaning is clearly wear.

Examples:

• Sy dra 'n jas. = She is wearing a coat.
• Sy dra 'n tas. = She is carrying a bag.

'n is the Afrikaans indefinite article, like English a or an.

So:

• 'n warm trui = a warm sweater

It is usually pronounced as a very weak vowel sound, like uh or schwa, not like the English letter name en.

A useful spelling note: the apostrophe is part of the word. Even at the beginning of a sentence, it usually stays lowercase:

• 'n Warm trui is lekker.

In this sentence, sy means she.

That can confuse English speakers because sy can also mean his in other contexts.

Compare:

• Sy dra 'n trui. = She is wearing a sweater.
• Sy trui is warm. = His sweater is warm.

So the meaning depends on grammar and position in the sentence. Here, sy is the subject pronoun, so it means she.

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

So:

• die herfs = the autumn
• die wind = the wind

Unlike English, Afrikaans uses die for both singular and plural nouns:

• die trui = the sweater
• die truie = the sweaters

Wanneer means when.

So:

• wanneer die wind sterker word = when the wind gets stronger

In many everyday time clauses, Afrikaans speakers may also use as where English uses when, depending on context and style. But wanneer is very clear and straightforward, especially for learners.

So this sentence with wanneer is completely natural.

Sterker is the comparative form of sterk, so it means stronger.

This works much like English:

• sterk = strong
• sterker = stronger

So:

• die wind word sterk = the wind becomes strong
• die wind word sterker = the wind becomes stronger

The sentence uses the comparative because the wind is increasing in strength.

Here, word is a verb meaning become or get.

So:

• die wind sterker word = the wind becomes stronger / the wind gets stronger

This is a very common Afrikaans verb, and it is not related to the English noun word.

Examples:

• Dit word koud. = It is getting cold.
• Hy word moeg. = He is getting tired.

Because wanneer introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses the finite verb usually goes to the end.

So the clause is:

wanneer + die wind + sterker + word

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

You will see the same thing with other subordinating words too, for example:

• omdat hy moeg is = because he is tired
• as dit reën = if it rains
• terwyl sy lees = while she reads

Yes. Trui is a normal Afrikaans word for sweater or jumper.

So:

• 'n warm trui = a warm sweater

Depending on region and context, clothing vocabulary can vary a little, but trui is a standard and very useful word to know.