Die dobbelsteen bring geluk, maar die telling bly gelykop.

In Afrikaans, die is the definite article, meaning the.

It is used for:

• singular nouns: die dobbelsteen = the die
• plural nouns: die dobbelstene = the dice
• many other nouns regardless of grammatical gender, because Afrikaans does not have separate words like German der / die / das

So in this sentence:

• die dobbelsteen = the die
• die telling = the score

Afrikaans simply repeats die before each definite noun, just like English repeats the.

Dobbelsteen means die as in a single gaming cube used in games of chance.

A useful distinction is:

• dobbelsteen = one die
• dobbelstene = dice

English can be confusing here because many people say dice even for one object in casual speech. Afrikaans is clearer:

• singular: dobbelsteen
• plural: dobbelstene

So in your sentence, die dobbelsteen bring geluk refers to one die.

Afrikaans verbs do not usually change form depending on the subject in the present tense.

Compare English:

• I bring
• he brings
• they bring

In Afrikaans, it stays the same:

• ek bring
• hy bring
• hulle bring

So:

• die dobbelsteen bring geluk is correct, not a special form meaning brings.

This is one of the nice simplifications of Afrikaans grammar.

Here, geluk means luck.

So:

• bring geluk = bring luck / bring good luck

Be careful, because geluk can also appear in other meanings depending on context, such as in expressions related to happiness or good fortune. But in a sentence about a die and a score, luck is the natural meaning.

Maar means but.

It is a coordinating conjunction, so it links two main clauses:

• Die dobbelsteen bring geluk
• maar die telling bly gelykop

After maar, Afrikaans keeps normal main-clause word order. That means the verb still comes early in the clause:

• die telling bly gelykop

So this works much like English:

• The die brings luck, but the score remains tied.

Telling here means score.

Depending on context, it can also relate to counting or a count, but in a game or competition sentence like this, die telling is best understood as:

• the score

So:

• die telling bly gelykop = the score remains tied / level

Bly means remain or stay.

Gelykop means level, even, tied.

Together:

• bly gelykop = remains tied / stays level

This is very natural Afrikaans. It emphasizes that the score continues in the same state.

Compare:

• Die telling is gelykop. = The score is tied.
• Die telling bly gelykop. = The score remains tied.

So bly adds the idea of continuity.

Gelykop means something like:

• equal
• level
• even
• tied

In sports, games, or competition contexts, the best translation is often:

• tied
• level

Examples:

• Die spanne is gelykop. = The teams are tied.
• Ons is nog gelykop. = We are still level.

In your sentence, die telling bly gelykop means the score is still even.

Yes, gelykop is written as one word.

It is a fixed Afrikaans word meaning equal / level / tied. Learners sometimes want to split it because it looks like it might be made of smaller parts, but in normal spelling it is written as:

• gelykop

Because Afrikaans often uses simple adjective-like words in places where English may prefer a different structure.

In English, we say:

• the score remains tied
• the score stays level

Afrikaans expresses that neatly as:

• die telling bly gelykop

You do not need an extra word equivalent to equally here. Gelykop already carries the idea of being equal or tied.

It can be understood literally in context: the die is bringing luck in the game.

It can also sound a little idiomatic in the sense that people often talk about objects, numbers, or actions bringing luck. But grammatically it is completely straightforward:

• bring geluk = bring luck

So a learner should understand it as a normal, natural phrase.

A rough English-friendly guide would be:

• Die ≈ dee
• dobbelsteen ≈ DOB-ul-stayn or DOB-bul-stane
• bring ≈ bring with a short i
• geluk ≈ khuh-LUKH with the Afrikaans g sound
• maar ≈ mahr
• telling ≈ TEL-ing
• bly ≈ blay
• gelykop ≈ khuh-LAY-kop with the Afrikaans g

A few pronunciation notes:

• Afrikaans g is not like the English g in go. It is a harsher throat sound, similar to the ch in Scottish loch for many speakers.
• y in bly sounds like ay in day, not like English y in myth.

Yes. The sentence follows very normal Afrikaans main-clause word order.

Structure:

• Die dobbelsteen = subject
• bring = verb
• geluk = object

Then:

• maar = but
• die telling = subject
• bly = verb
• gelykop = complement

So both clauses are standard and beginner-friendly:

1. subject + verb + object
2. coordinating conjunction + subject + verb + complement

Yes, that is also grammatical.

The difference is:

• is gelykop = is tied
• bly gelykop = remains tied

So your original sentence emphasizes that even though the die brings luck, the score still does not change from being level.

That makes bly gelykop slightly more expressive in this context.