Sy sny die verkeerde steek met die torringmessie.

Yes. Sy means she here.

A few useful notes:

• Sy can also mean her in some contexts, but in this sentence it is the subject pronoun, so it means she.
• Capital S is only because it is at the beginning of the sentence. Mid-sentence it would be sy.

Yes. Sny is the normal Afrikaans verb for to cut.

In this sentence:

• Sy sny ... = She cuts ...

Afrikaans verbs are often simpler than English verbs:

• ek sny = I cut
• jy sny = you cut
• sy sny = she cuts

So the verb does not change form the way English does with cuts.

Because die is the definite article the in Afrikaans.

So:

• die verkeerde steek = the wrong stitch
• die torringmessie = the seam ripper / unpicker

Afrikaans uses die for all genders and for both singular and plural definite nouns, so it is much simpler than languages that have different forms.

Because verkeerde is the attributive form of the adjective: the form used when the adjective comes before a noun.

Compare:

• Die steek is verkeerd. = The stitch is wrong.
  
  • Here the adjective stands on its own after the verb, so it is verkeerd.
• die verkeerde steek = the wrong stitch
  
  • Here the adjective comes before the noun, so it becomes verkeerde.

This -e ending is very common in Afrikaans adjectives used before nouns.

Here, steek is a noun meaning stitch.

That matters because steek can also be a verb in other contexts, with meanings such as stab, poke, or insert. But in this sentence, because it comes after die verkeerde, it is clearly a noun:

• die verkeerde steek = the wrong stitch

So the structure tells you what role the word is playing.

Yes. Met means with.

In this sentence it shows the tool being used:

• met die torringmessie = with the seam ripper

So the pattern is:

• [subject] + [verb] + [object] + met + [instrument]

For example:

• Hy skryf met 'n pen. = He writes with a pen.
• Sy sny met die mes. = She cuts with the knife.

Yes. Torringmessie is a compound word.

It refers to the small tool used to undo stitches, often called:

• seam ripper
• stitch ripper
• unpicker

About the form:

• mes = knife
• messie = little knife

So torringmessie literally suggests a little knife for unpicking/undoing stitching.

Compound words are very common in Afrikaans, just as in Dutch and German.

The given word order is the most straightforward one:

• Sy = subject
• sny = verb
• die verkeerde steek = object
• met die torringmessie = prepositional phrase showing the instrument

So it follows a basic pattern:

• Subject + Verb + Object + Extra information

Yes, met die torringmessie can sometimes be moved for emphasis, but the version you have is the most neutral and natural for a learner to start with.

Yes, it is present tense.

Afrikaans usually does not change the verb ending to match the subject the way English does:

• I cut
• she cuts

In Afrikaans, both use the same verb form:

• Ek sny
• Sy sny

So the tense and meaning come mostly from context, time words, or the overall sentence.

No. Sy means she or her, not you.

Useful comparison:

• sy = she / her
• jy = you (informal singular)
• u = you (formal)

So in this sentence, Sy sny ... can only mean She cuts ...

A few key differences stand out:

1. No verb ending change

   • English: she cuts
   • Afrikaans: sy sny

2. Simple article system

   • Afrikaans uses die for the in many situations, without separate masculine/feminine forms.

3. Adjective ending

   • Before the noun: verkeerde
   • After the noun / predicate use: verkeerd

4. Compound nouns

   • torringmessie is one word, which is very typical in Afrikaans.

So although the sentence is short, it shows several very common Afrikaans patterns.