Die hond sterk gou aan.

Because the verb here is the separable verb aansterk, which means to recover, to gain strength, or to get stronger.

In a normal main clause in Afrikaans, the conjugated part of a separable verb goes earlier in the sentence, and the particle goes to the end:

• Die hond sterk gou aan.

But in the infinitive, the parts stay together:

• Die hond wil gou aansterk. = The dog wants to recover soon.

So it helps to learn this as one vocabulary item: aansterk.

Here, sterk is functioning as the verb part of aansterk.

On its own, sterk can also be an adjective:

• Die hond is sterk. = The dog is strong.

But in your sentence, it is not describing the dog directly. It is part of the verb aansterk, meaning become stronger / recover:

• Die hond sterk aan. = The dog is recovering / getting stronger.

So in this sentence, do not translate sterk by itself. Think of sterk ... aan as one whole verb.

Afrikaans verbs usually do not change according to the subject the way English verbs do.

Compare:

• English: I get, he gets
• Afrikaans: ek sterk aan, hy sterk aan, die hond sterk aan

So sterk stays the same regardless of whether the subject is I, you, he, the dog, and so on.

That is one of the simpler parts of Afrikaans grammar.

Gou can mean either quickly or soon, depending on context.

So this sentence could suggest:

• The dog gets stronger quickly
• The dog will recover soon

In everyday Afrikaans, gou is very common and flexible. Context usually tells you which idea is stronger.

A useful comparison:

• gou = quickly / soon
• vinnig = more specifically fast / quickly

So if someone wants to be very explicit about speed, they might choose vinnig instead.

This follows normal Afrikaans main-clause word order:

1. Die hond = subject
2. sterk = finite verb
3. gou = adverb
4. aan = separable verb particle at the end

So the pattern is roughly:

Subject + verb + other information + separated particle

This is very common in Afrikaans with separable verbs.

For example:

• Hy trek sy jas aan. = He puts his coat on.
• Die kind staan vroeg op. = The child gets up early.
• Die hond sterk gou aan.

Yes, die here means the.

Unlike languages such as German or Dutch, Afrikaans does not have grammatical gender in its article system the way learners often expect. Die is used for the with singular and plural nouns:

• die hond = the dog
• die honde = the dogs

So you do not need to learn different forms like the masculine, the feminine, and the neuter.

The sentence is understandable if the intended verb is aansterk, but many speakers might prefer a slightly more natural version depending on the exact meaning.

Possible alternatives:

• Die hond sterk vinnig aan. = The dog is recovering quickly.
• Die hond sal gou aansterk. = The dog will recover soon.
• Die hond is besig om aan te sterk. = The dog is getting stronger / recovering.

So Die hond sterk gou aan is useful for learning how aansterk works, but in real conversation another version may sound more natural depending on whether you mean quickly or soon.

Afrikaans often prefers a single verb where English uses a longer expression.

English might say:

• The dog is getting stronger
• The dog is recovering
• The dog becomes strong again

Afrikaans can express that neatly with aansterk.

So instead of building the idea with a separate verb plus adjective, Afrikaans often uses this one verb:

• aansterk = recover / gain strength / get stronger

That is why the sentence does not need a separate word like stronger.

Because aansterk is separable, its shape changes depending on the sentence structure.

Examples:

• Present:
  Die hond sterk aan. = The dog is recovering.

• With a modal:
  Die hond kan aansterk. = The dog can recover.

• Future:
  Die hond sal aansterk. = The dog will recover.

• Perfect:
  Die hond het aangesterk. = The dog has recovered / gained strength.

Notice the difference:

• main clause present: sterk ... aan
• infinitive: aansterk
• past participle: aangesterk

So it is important to learn both the meaning and the separable pattern.