Die boodskap verwys na die dokument.

The sentence follows a very familiar pattern:

Die boodskap + verwys + na die dokument
The message + refers + to the document

So the structure is:

• subject: Die boodskap
• verb: verwys
• prepositional phrase: na die dokument

In this sentence, Afrikaans looks a lot like English.

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

So:

• die boodskap = the message
• die dokument = the document

Afrikaans uses die for all genders, so you do not need to learn separate words like the for masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns.

It is also used with plural definite nouns:

• die dokumente = the documents

So seeing die twice just means both nouns are definite.

No. That is one thing that makes Afrikaans easier than many other languages.

Die does not change for:

• masculine / feminine / neuter gender
• subject / object case

So the same die is used in many situations where languages like German would change the article.

That means:

• die boodskap
• na die dokument
• met die boek

all keep die unchanged.

In Afrikaans, verbs usually do not change according to the subject in the present tense.

So you get:

• ek verwys = I refer
• jy verwys = you refer
• hy verwys = he refers
• die boodskap verwys = the message refers

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not usually add a special ending like -s for he/she/it.

That is why verwys stays verwys.

Because verwys is commonly used with the preposition na when it means refer to.

So:

• verwys na iets = refer to something

In this sentence:

• verwys na die dokument = refers to the document

This is something you often just learn as a set phrase:

• verwys na

It is similar to learning English combinations like listen to, look at, or depend on.

Yes. Depending on context, verwys na can mean things like:

• refer to
• point to
• allude to

In your sentence, the most natural meaning is refer to.

For example:

• Die artikel verwys na die verslag. = The article refers to the report.
• Hierdie teken verwys na gevaar. = This sign points to danger.

So the exact English translation depends on context, but refer to is the best fit here.

In a simple main clause like this one, it is very similar to English:

• Die boodskap verwys na die dokument.

But Afrikaans follows the verb-second rule in main clauses. That means the finite verb usually stays in the second position.

For example, if you begin with a time word:

• Vandag verwys die boodskap na die dokument.
  = Today the message refers to the document.

Notice that verwys still comes second.

So the sentence you have is straightforward, but word order becomes important when another element is moved to the front.

Yes. Boodskap is the normal Afrikaans word for message.

It can be used for different kinds of messages, for example:

• a written message
• a spoken message
• the message or meaning of something

Examples:

• Ek het jou boodskap gekry. = I got your message.
• Wat is die boodskap van die film? = What is the message of the film?

So it is a very useful everyday word.

You would usually say:

Die boodskap verwys nie na die dokument nie.

Afrikaans typically uses double nie in standard negation:

• one nie after the verb or main part of the clause
• one nie at the end of the clause

So:

• verwys nie ... nie

This double-negative structure is very common in Afrikaans and is something English speakers often need to get used to.

A natural past-tense version is:

Die boodskap het na die dokument verwys.

Afrikaans very often uses the perfect tense where English might use a simple past.

Structure:

• het = auxiliary
• verwys = past participle form here, which looks the same as the infinitive/base verb

So literally the pattern is:

• Die boodskap het ... verwys.

This is a very common Afrikaans past-tense pattern.