Die wet beskerm werknemers.

Yes. Die is the Afrikaans definite article, so here it means the.

A useful point for English speakers: Afrikaans uses die for all nouns in the definite form:

• die wet = the law
• die werknemer = the employee
• die werknemers = the employees

Unlike some languages, Afrikaans does not change the word for gender or case.

Yes, this sentence uses the normal subject–verb–object order, just like English:

• Die wet = subject
• beskerm = verb
• werknemers = object

So the structure is:

The law + protects + employees

This is the standard order in a simple main clause in Afrikaans.

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

Compare:

• Ek beskerm = I protect
• Jy beskerm = you protect
• Die wet beskerm = the law protects
• Hulle beskerm = they protect

So unlike English, Afrikaans does not add -s for he/she/it in the present tense.

Here it is a present-tense finite verb.

In Afrikaans, the basic verb form often looks the same as the infinitive/root form you see in a sentence. So beskerm can appear as the normal present-tense verb:

• Die wet beskerm werknemers. = The law protects employees.

Afrikaans is much simpler than English in this respect because the present-tense verb form usually stays the same.

Because Afrikaans does not need an extra helping verb like English does in ordinary positive present-tense statements.

English:

• The law protects employees.
• The law does protect employees. (for emphasis)

Afrikaans normally just says:

• Die wet beskerm werknemers.

If you want emphasis, Afrikaans usually handles it in other ways, not by inserting a direct equivalent of English does.

Werknemers is the plural form of werknemer (employee).

Singular:

• werknemer = employee

Plural:

• werknemers = employees

The plural here is formed by adding -s, which is a common plural pattern in Afrikaans.

So:

• Die wet beskerm die werknemer. = The law protects the employee.
• Die wet beskerm werknemers. = The law protects employees.

Because Afrikaans, like English, can use a plural noun without an article when talking about people or things in general.

So:

• werknemers = employees in general
• die werknemers = the employees, a specific group

That means:

• Die wet beskerm werknemers. = The law protects employees. (employees in general)
• Die wet beskerm die werknemers. = The law protects the employees. (a specific set of employees)

In this sentence there is actually no g in beskerm or werknemers.

But learners often ask because Afrikaans spelling can look unfamiliar. The tricky sound in this sentence is more likely the w in wet, which is pronounced like English v:

• wet sounds roughly like vet
• werknemers begins with a v-like sound too

So:

• wet ≈ vet
• werknemers ≈ verkh-NAY-mers (roughly)

The exact pronunciation varies by accent, but the important point is that Afrikaans w is usually pronounced like English v.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

beskerm ≈ buh-SKERM

A few notes:

• The stress is usually on the second syllable: be-SKERM
• The r is Afrikaans r, not always like a strong English r
• The vowels are shorter and tenser than in many English pronunciations

This is only an approximation, but it is enough for a beginner.

It is the normal Afrikaans noun for law. It is also related to Dutch wet.

Be careful not to confuse it with English wet. In Afrikaans:

• wet = law

So although it looks familiar to an English speaker, it means something completely different from English wet.

Usually die wet most naturally means the law.

Depending on context, wet can sometimes refer to a specific law or statute, so in some contexts English might translate it as:

• the law
• the Act

But if you see the sentence on its own, The law protects employees is the most natural interpretation.

No. Afrikaans does not mark the direct object with a special ending in a sentence like this.

So werknemers is understood as the object simply because of its position after the verb:

• Die wet = subject
• beskerm = verb
• werknemers = object

This is another way Afrikaans is simpler than many other languages: word order does a lot of the work.