Hoe groter die risiko is, hoe belangriker is die risikobeoordeling.

It is a fixed comparative pattern meaning the ... the ... in English.

So:

Hoe groter die risiko is, hoe belangriker is die risikobeoordeling.
= The greater the risk, the more important the risk assessment is.

This structure shows a relationship between two changes:

• as one thing increases or changes,
• another thing also increases or changes.

A useful pattern to remember is:

Hoe + comparative + clause, hoe + comparative + clause

For example:

• Hoe harder jy werk, hoe moër word jy.
• The harder you work, the more tired you get.

Not in the normal question sense.

Afrikaans hoe often does mean how, as in:

• Hoe gaan dit? = How are you?

But in this sentence, hoe is part of the comparative pattern hoe ... hoe ..., where it functions more like English the in the bigger..., the more...

So it is better to think:

• hoe groter = the bigger / the greater
• hoe belangriker = the more important

Only in this specific pattern does hoe work like that.

They are the comparative forms of the adjectives.

• groot = big / large / great

• groter = bigger / greater

• belangrik = important
• belangriker = more important

Afrikaans often forms the comparative by adding -er, much like English big → bigger.

So in this sentence:

• groter compares levels of risk
• belangriker compares levels of importance

Because belangriker is the normal, standard comparative form.

Afrikaans usually prefers a single comparative form with -er when that form exists:

• groot → groter
• belangrik → belangriker
• mooi → mooier

So belangriker is the most natural choice here.

A learner may be tempted to copy English more important and say meer belangrik, but belangriker is the form you should aim for.

Because the two halves do not behave in exactly the same way grammatically.

The first half, hoe groter die risiko is, acts like a subordinate clause. In Afrikaans subordinate clauses, the finite verb often comes later, and here it ends up at the end:

• die risiko is groter = the risk is greater
• in the hoe-clause: hoe groter die risiko is

The second half, hoe belangriker is die risikobeoordeling, is the main clause. In a main clause, Afrikaans normally uses verb-second word order. Since hoe belangriker comes first, the verb is comes next:

• basic statement: Die risikobeoordeling is belangriker.
• with fronting: Hoe belangriker is die risikobeoordeling.

So the difference is mainly:

• first half: subordinate-clause order
• second half: main-clause order

In standard Afrikaans, that is not the usual form for this structure.

The normal pattern is:

Hoe groter die risiko is, hoe belangriker is die risikobeoordeling.

Putting is right after groter in the first half sounds wrong or at least unnatural in this comparative pattern.

So for learners, the safe model is:

Hoe + comparative + subject + verb, hoe + comparative + verb + subject

In this sentence:

• Hoe groter die risiko is
• hoe belangriker is die risikobeoordeling

It is a compound noun:

• risiko = risk
• beoordeling = assessment / evaluation

So risikobeoordeling literally means risk assessment.

Afrikaans, like Dutch and German, very often writes compound nouns as one word. English often writes these as two words, but Afrikaans usually joins them.

Other examples:

• motorongeluk = car accident
• waterbottel = water bottle
• taalleerder = language learner

So risikobeoordeling is written as one word because that is normal Afrikaans compound spelling.

Because die is the definite article, meaning the.

So:

• die risiko = the risk
• die risikobeoordeling = the risk assessment

Each noun phrase needs its own article here.

Also, Afrikaans die does not change for gender, so you do not have to learn separate forms like de and het in Dutch, or der/die/das in German. That makes Afrikaans simpler.

Sometimes, especially in short, punchy expressions, Afrikaans can omit is.

For example:

• Hoe gouer, hoe beter.
• The sooner, the better.

With a full sentence like this one, though, keeping is is the safest and most standard choice:

Hoe groter die risiko is, hoe belangriker is die risikobeoordeling.

You may sometimes see a shorter version like:

Hoe groter die risiko, hoe belangriker die risikobeoordeling.

That is understandable, but the full version with is sounds more complete and is better for learners to model.