Gooi die dobbelsteen.

Because this is an imperative sentence, meaning it gives a command.

In Afrikaans, commands often use just the verb on its own at the beginning:

• Gooi die dobbelsteen. = a command
• Jy gooi die dobbelsteen. = You throw the die / you are throwing the die

So the subject jy is usually left out in commands, just like English often leaves out you:

• Throw the die.
• not usually You throw the die. unless you want emphasis

Here, die is the definite article, meaning the.

A very important point for English speakers: Afrikaans die does not change for gender or number the way articles do in some other languages. It is used broadly for the.

Examples:

• die dobbelsteen = the die
• die boek = the book
• die vrou = the woman
• die kinders = the children

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

Because die means the, while 'n means a / an.

So:

• Gooi die dobbelsteen. = Throw the die.
• Gooi 'n dobbelsteen. = Throw a die.

If the meaning already makes it clear that a specific die is meant, Afrikaans uses die.

Yes. Gooi basically means throw.

But with dice, Afrikaans commonly uses gooi where English often says roll:

• Gooi die dobbelsteen. = Roll the die.

So even though the literal idea is throw, it is idiomatic and natural for dice.

Dobbelsteen is the Afrikaans word for a single die.

It is a compound noun:

• dobbel relates to gambling / dice-playing
• steen means stone

Historically, many languages use words meaning something like gaming stone or play stone for a die.

So dobbelsteen is one word, not two.

The plural is dobbelstene.

So:

• een dobbelsteen = one die
• twee dobbelstene = two dice

This is useful because English is irregular here:

• singular: die
• plural: dice

Afrikaans is more regular in this case.

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

Gooi die dobbelsteen
≈ khoy dee DOB-bul-stayn

A few notes:

• gooi has a diphthong somewhat like oy, but the exact sound depends on accent
• die sounds like dee
• dobbelsteen has the stress mainly on the first syllable: DOB-bel-steen

If you want to sound more natural, the most important thing is probably:

• do not pronounce die like English die
• keep dobbelsteen as one smooth word

Yes, but it is normal for an imperative.

In a command, Afrikaans usually puts the verb first:

• Gooi die dobbelsteen.
• Maak die deur oop. = Open the door.
• Lees die boek. = Read the book.

So the pattern is often:

Verb + object

That is why Gooi comes first.

Usually you leave it out, but you can add a subject for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

For example:

• Jy, gooi die dobbelsteen. = You, throw the die.
• Gooi jy die dobbelsteen. can sound marked depending on context

In ordinary instructions, the simple form without jy is the most natural:

• Gooi die dobbelsteen.

The usual negative command in Afrikaans uses Moenie ... nie.

So:

• Moenie die dobbelsteen gooi nie. = Don’t throw / roll the die.

This is a very common pattern:

• Moenie praat nie. = Don’t talk.
• Moenie dit doen nie. = Don’t do it.

So unlike the positive command, the negative command does not simply put nie after the verb. It uses the full moenie ... nie structure.

It is neutral and perfectly normal.

Afrikaans imperatives like this can be used in:

• games
• instructions
• classroom situations
• casual conversation

Whether it sounds polite depends mostly on tone of voice and context, just as in English.

If you want to sound softer, you might add a politeness marker or phrase, for example:

• Gooi asseblief die dobbelsteen. = Please throw the die.

Because please is optional, just as in English.

A plain imperative in Afrikaans can simply be:

• Gooi die dobbelsteen.

If you want to make it more polite, add asseblief:

• Gooi asseblief die dobbelsteen.

That is very common in spoken and written Afrikaans.

Yes, this is natural.

In a board game or dice game, an Afrikaans speaker could very naturally say:

• Gooi die dobbelsteen.

Depending on context, people might also use shorter or more conversational wording, but this sentence is clear, correct, and idiomatic.