Bekyk die pryskaartjie voordat jy die erdewerk ondersoek.

Yes. Bekyk is an imperative here, so the sentence is giving an instruction or command: Look at / examine the price tag before you inspect the pottery.

In Afrikaans, the imperative often uses the same basic verb form as the infinitive/base form, so bekyk can mean both to view/examine and view/examine! depending on context.

Because the sentence begins directly with the verb and has no subject like jy, it clearly sounds like a command.

Kyk usually means look or watch, while bekyk often means look at more carefully, view, or examine visually.

So:

• kyk = look
• bekyk = look at closely / inspect visually

In this sentence, bekyk die pryskaartjie suggests more than just a quick glance. It implies deliberately checking the price tag.

Die is the definite article in Afrikaans, meaning the.

It appears twice because there are two separate nouns:

• die pryskaartjie
• die erdewerk

Unlike English, Afrikaans uses die for all genders and for both singular and plural definite nouns. So you do not have to learn different forms like the for masculine/feminine/neuter. It is simply die.

Pryskaartjie is a compound noun, which is very common in Afrikaans.

It is made up of:

• prys = price
• kaartjie = little card / ticket / label

So pryskaartjie means price tag or price label.

Also, kaartjie contains the diminutive ending -jie, which often gives the sense of small. So literally it is something like little price card.

Because voordat introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses send the finite/main verb to the end.

So the pattern is:

• voordat
  • subject + other elements + verb

That is why you get:

• voordat jy die erdewerk ondersoek

and not:

• voordat jy ondersoek die erdewerk

This is one of the most important word-order rules in Afrikaans.

Voordat means before.

When voordat introduces a full clause, it normally triggers subordinate-clause word order, which means the verb goes to the end.

Example pattern:

• Voordat jy gaan = before you go
• Voordat hy eet = before he eats
• Voordat ons die erdewerk ondersoek = before we inspect the pottery

So yes, when voordat introduces a clause like this, the verb-final order is expected.

Jy is the normal informal word for you in Afrikaans. It is very common and works in most everyday situations.

U is the formal/polite version, similar to formal you in some other languages, but in modern spoken Afrikaans it is less common than learners sometimes expect.

So:

• jy = normal, everyday you
• u = formal/polite you

You could use u in a more formal instruction, but jy sounds natural and ordinary.

Erdewerk means pottery or earthenware.

Grammatically, it often behaves like a collective or mass noun, similar to how English uses pottery. So even though it may refer to multiple objects, the word itself is not necessarily treated like a regular countable plural noun.

That is why die erdewerk can refer to pottery as a category or collection of items.

Ondersoek means inspect, examine, or investigate.

In this sentence, it is the verb of the subordinate clause introduced by voordat:

• voordat jy die erdewerk ondersoek

Because it is in a subordinate clause, ondersoek goes to the end.

It is also a good example of a verb that can mean either physical examination or more careful investigation, depending on context. Here, because the object is erdewerk, it means inspect/examine the pottery.

Yes, you could say Kyk na die pryskaartjie, and it would be understandable.

However, there is a difference in style and nuance:

• Kyk na die pryskaartjie = look at the price tag
• Bekyk die pryskaartjie = examine/view the price tag more deliberately

Also notice the grammar difference:

• kyk na needs the preposition na
• bekyk takes a direct object without na

So:

• Kyk na die pryskaartjie
• Bekyk die pryskaartjie

Both are possible, but bekyk sounds a bit more deliberate or formal.

Yes — two things in particular:

1. The imperative comes first

   • Bekyk die pryskaartjie
   • This is like English Examine the price tag

2. The verb moves to the end in the clause after voordat

   • voordat jy die erdewerk ondersoek

That second point is especially important, because English does not usually move the verb to the end after before:

• English: before you inspect the pottery
• Afrikaans: voordat jy die erdewerk ondersoek

So for an English speaker, the biggest grammar lesson in this sentence is the subordinate-clause word order.