Ons betaal die res.

Ons means we in this sentence.

A useful extra point: ons can also mean us in other contexts, depending on sentence structure. So Afrikaans uses the same form for both we and us.

In Ons betaal die res, it is the subject, so it means we.

Betaal means pay.

Afrikaans verbs are often simpler than English verbs because they usually do not change form depending on the subject. So:

• Ek betaal = I pay
• Ons betaal = we pay
• Hy betaal = he pays

Notice that Afrikaans does not add an -s like English does in he pays.

Die res means the rest or the remainder.

• die = the
• res = rest / remainder

So the whole sentence literally matches English quite closely: We pay the rest.

Yes, it looks like the English word die, but in Afrikaans die is a very common article meaning the.

So in this sentence, die res simply means the rest.

Afrikaans learners often need to get used to this, because the spelling can be misleading if you are thinking in English.

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

Unlike English:

• I pay
• he pays

Afrikaans keeps the same form:

• ek betaal
• hy betaal
• ons betaal

This is one of the simpler parts of Afrikaans grammar.

Yes. In this simple main clause, the word order is very similar to English:

• Ons = subject
• betaal = verb
• die res = object

So it follows a basic subject–verb–object pattern:

Ons betaal die res
We pay the rest

Yes. Die res can mean either the rest or the remainder, depending on context.

For example:

• in a money context, it may sound like the remainder / the balance
• in a general context, it may simply mean the rest

So if the meaning shown to the learner is We pay the rest, that is a perfectly natural translation.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

ons buh-TAHL dee res

A few notes:

• ons sounds roughly like onts or ons
• betaal has the stress on the second part: be-TAAL
• die is pronounced more like dee
• res sounds like ress

Pronunciation varies a bit by speaker and accent, but that guide is a good starting point.

Not by itself in the same way as English our.

Afrikaans usually uses ons before a noun to express our, for example:

• ons huis = our house
• ons geld = our money

So ons can function in a possessive way, but in Ons betaal die res, it clearly means we, because it is the subject of the verb.

Sometimes, yes, depending on context.

Afrikaans present tense often covers both:

• we pay
• we are paying

So Ons betaal die res could mean either one in the right situation. English usually makes a stronger distinction than Afrikaans does.