Ons gebruik beide kaarte.

Ons means we in this sentence.

It is the subject of the sentence, so Ons gebruik beide kaarte starts with we + the verb.

A useful thing to remember is that ons can also sometimes mean us in other contexts, depending on its role in the sentence. But here it is clearly the subject, so it means we.

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

So you get:

• Ek gebruik = I use
• Jy gebruik = you use
• Ons gebruik = we use
• Hulle gebruik = they use

This is much simpler than English, where we say I use but he uses. In Afrikaans, the verb stays the same.

Beide means both.

In this sentence, it is used before a plural noun: beide kaarte = both cards/maps.

It tells you that two items are involved, and that both of them are being used.

Yes. Albei and beide can both mean both.

So Ons gebruik albei kaarte is also possible.

A rough guideline:

• albei is very common in everyday speech
• beide can sound a little more formal or written, though it is still normal Afrikaans

So the sentence is correct as given, but learners will often hear albei too.

Kaarte is the plural form of kaart.

So:

• kaart = card / map
• kaarte = cards / maps

Afrikaans often forms the plural by adding -e or -te, and kaart becomes kaarte.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Kaart in Afrikaans can refer to:

• a card
• a map

So kaarte could mean:

• cards
• maps

Without more context, the sentence is ambiguous. Native speakers would understand the intended meaning from the situation.

Afrikaans often does not use an article where English does.

In English, we often say both the cards. In Afrikaans, beide kaarte is natural without adding die.

You may sometimes also see beide die kaarte, but beide kaarte is already perfectly normal.

So do not expect Afrikaans to match English article usage exactly.

The word order is straightforward:

• Ons = subject
• gebruik = verb
• beide kaarte = object

So it follows the normal main-clause Afrikaans pattern:

Subject + Verb + Object

That makes Ons gebruik beide kaarte a very typical simple sentence.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

Ons ≈ ons
gebruik ≈ guh-BRAYK or khuh-BRAYK
beide ≈ BAY-duh
kaarte ≈ KAAHR-tuh

A few notes:

• g in Afrikaans is usually a throat sound, not a hard English g
• ui in gebruik is a special Afrikaans/Dutch vowel sound that English does not really have
• aa in kaarte is a long vowel

The exact pronunciation depends a bit on accent, but those approximations are a useful start.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• Ons gebruik kaarte = We use cards/maps
• Ons gebruik beide kaarte = We use both cards/maps

So beide is important if you want to make it clear that there are two specific items, and that both are used.

Without beide, the sentence becomes more general.

Yes. Ons gebruik beide kaarte is in the present tense.

It can mean:

• We use both cards/maps
• sometimes, depending on context, We are using both cards/maps

Afrikaans often uses the simple present where English might use either the simple present or the present continuous. Context tells you which meaning is intended.