Is die afrit naby?

Because this is a yes/no question in Afrikaans.

Afrikaans usually forms this kind of question by putting the finite verb first:

• Statement: Die afrit is naby.
• Question: Is die afrit naby?

This is very similar to English:

• The exit is nearby.
• Is the exit nearby?

So the word order is normal for a question.

Die means the.

A useful thing for English speakers to know is that Afrikaans die does not change for gender, and it is also used for both singular and plural definite nouns in many cases.

So here:

• die afrit = the exit

Also, Afrikaans die is usually pronounced roughly like dee, not like the English word die.

Afrit usually means an exit, especially a road exit or off-ramp.

So in traffic or navigation contexts, afrit is a very natural word.

Depending on context, English exit could also be translated with other words. For example:

• afrit = road exit / off-ramp
• uitgang = exit in a building, room, public place, etc.

So if you are talking about a motorway or road, afrit is the right kind of word.

Naby means near or nearby.

In this sentence, it works like a predicate adjective/adverb after is:

• Die afrit is naby. = The exit is near / nearby.

Putting it at the end is normal here. English does something very similar:

• The exit is nearby.

So the structure is straightforward:

• Is = is
• die afrit = the exit
• naby = nearby

Die afrit means the exit, so it refers to a specific exit.

If you wanted to ask about any exit nearby, Afrikaans would more naturally use 'n or sometimes a different structure, for example:

• Is daar 'n afrit naby? = Is there an exit nearby?

So the difference is:

• Is die afrit naby? = Is the specific exit nearby?
• Is daar 'n afrit naby? = Is an exit nearby?

That distinction is the same basic idea as the vs an in English.

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

is dee AH-frit naa-bay?

A few notes:

• Is sounds like English is
• die sounds like dee
• afrit has the stress on the first syllable: AH-frit
• naby is roughly naa-bay

The real Afrikaans sounds are not exactly English ones, but that approximation is good enough for a beginner.

Yes. When naby is followed by a specific place or thing, you will often see naby aan or simply naby, depending on style and context.

For example:

• Die hotel is naby die stasie. = The hotel is near the station.
• Die hotel is naby aan die stasie. = The hotel is near the station.

But in your sentence, nothing follows naby, so it simply means nearby.

That is why Is die afrit naby? is complete by itself.

The statement version is:

Die afrit is naby.

So the only difference is word order:

• Statement: Die afrit is naby.
• Question: Is die afrit naby?

This is a very useful pattern in Afrikaans, especially with is, het, kan, sal, and other verbs that can move to the front in questions.