Die afstand en reistyd na die bestemming is kort.

Die is the definite article in Afrikaans, equivalent to English the.

So Die afstand en reistyd means the distance and travel time.

A useful thing to remember is that Afrikaans does not change the definite article for gender or number. English has the for everything, and Afrikaans is similar in that respect: die is used for singular and plural nouns.

Because one article can cover both nouns when they are joined by en (and).

So:

• die afstand en reistyd = the distance and travel time

This works much like English, where you can also say the distance and travel time instead of repeating the before both nouns.

If you repeated it, die afstand en die reistyd, that would sound more separate or more emphatic.

Afrikaans very often forms compound nouns by writing them as a single word.

So:

• reis = travel/journey
• tyd = time
• reistyd = travel time

This is extremely common in Afrikaans, and it is something English speakers need to get used to, because English often writes similar ideas as two words, while Afrikaans prefers one compound word.

Other examples are:

• huisdeur = house door / front door
• skoolbus = school bus
• motorrit = car ride

Na die bestemming tells you the direction or endpoint: to the destination.

Breakdown:

• na = to / toward
• die bestemming = the destination

So it modifies afstand and reistyd: it is the distance and travel time to the destination.

In Afrikaans, na is commonly used for movement or direction toward a place, so it is a natural choice for to the destination.

For learners, the main thing is simply to remember the chunk:

• na die bestemming = to the destination

Prepositions do not always match perfectly between languages, so it is best to learn them as part of whole phrases.

Is is the present-tense form of to be in Afrikaans.

So:

• is kort = is short

Afrikaans uses is with all persons and numbers in the present tense:

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

So even though English changes between is and are, Afrikaans keeps is.

Because kort is a predicate adjective here, and predicate adjectives in Afrikaans normally do not take the -e ending.

Compare:

• Die afstand is kort. = The distance is short.
• 'n Kort afstand = a short distance

In the first sentence, kort comes after is, so it stays plain: kort.

In the second example, the adjective comes before the noun, so Afrikaans often adds -e: korte or more commonly depending on adjective type, though many adjectives have their own patterns. For this sentence, the important rule is:

• after is → usually no -e

It refers to two things joined by en, so logically it is a coordinated subject: distance and travel time.

However, this does not change the verb form in Afrikaans, because the present form of to be is still is for both singular and plural.

So you do not need to worry about choosing between is and are as in English. Afrikaans simply uses:

• is

This is why the sentence is perfectly normal with is.

Yes. This is a standard main-clause pattern:

• Subject: Die afstand en reistyd na die bestemming
• Verb: is
• Complement: kort

So the structure is basically:

• The distance and travel time to the destination
  • is
    • short

That is very similar to English word order in a simple statement.

It belongs with afstand en reistyd, not with kort.

So the sentence means:

• the distance and travel time to the destination
• are/is short

It does not mean something like short toward the destination. The prepositional phrase is giving more information about the nouns, not about the adjective.

Yes. Even if the meaning has already been given to the learner, this is a good grammar point to notice.

In English, many speakers would prefer:

• The distance and travel time to the destination are short

because distance and travel time is a plural idea.

Afrikaans does not show that difference in the verb here, since it still uses is. So when translating, English may use are, but Afrikaans stays with is.

Bestemming means destination.

It is a noun, and here it appears as:

• die bestemming = the destination

It is a useful travel-related word. You may also see it in contexts like:

• ons bestemming = our destination
• by die bestemming aankom = arrive at the destination

Usually not in this sentence, because the phrase is referring to a specific destination:

• na die bestemming = to the destination

If you removed die, the phrase would become less natural in standard Afrikaans for this meaning.

So it is best to learn the full phrase as:

• na die bestemming