Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is, knie sy dit maklik.

Alhoewel means although. It introduces a subordinate clause, just like although in English:

• Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is = Although the dough is sticky

It signals a contrast between the two parts of the sentence:

• the dough is sticky,
• but she can still knead it easily.

Because alhoewel introduces a subordinate clause, Afrikaans usually sends the finite verb to the end of that clause.

So:

• Main-clause order: Die deeg is klewerig.
• Subordinate-clause order: Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is

This is very common in Afrikaans after words like omdat (because), as (if/when), dat (that), and alhoewel (although).

This is because the sentence begins with another element: the subordinate clause Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is.

In Afrikaans main clauses, the finite verb normally comes in the second position. When a clause or adverb comes first, the verb must come right after it.

So the structure is:

• Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is,
  • knie
    • sy
      • dit
        • maklik

Compare:

• Sy knie dit maklik. = normal word order
• Vandag knie sy dit maklik. = today comes first, so verb comes next
• Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is, knie sy dit maklik. = the whole first clause comes first, so verb comes next

Here knie is the verb to knead.

So:

• knie = knead

It looks a bit like English knee, but in this sentence it is definitely a verb, not a body part.

Examples:

• Ek knie brooddeeg. = I knead bread dough.
• Sy knie dit goed. = She kneads it well.

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

So you get:

• Ek knie
• Jy knie
• Hy knie
• Sy knie
• Ons knie

This is much simpler than English, where you have I knead but she kneads.

Here sy means she.

Afrikaans sy can sometimes be confusing because:

• sy can mean she
• sy can also mean his

But the position in the sentence tells you what it is.

In knie sy dit maklik, sy comes right after the finite verb and functions as the subject, so it means she.

If it meant his, it would normally come before a noun:

• sy brood = his bread

Dit means it, and here it refers back to die deeg (the dough).

So:

• die deeg = the dough
• dit = it

Afrikaans often uses dit this way to avoid repeating the noun.

Klewerig means sticky.

In this sentence it comes after the noun as part of the predicate:

• Die deeg is klewerig.

When an adjective comes after a linking verb like is, it usually stays in its basic form.

Compare:

• Die deeg is klewerig. = The dough is sticky.
• die klewerige deeg = the sticky dough

So yes, adjectives can change in Afrikaans, but mostly when they come before a noun. After is, they usually do not.

Die deeg means the dough.

• die = the
• deeg = dough

Afrikaans uses die for the with both singular and plural nouns:

• die brood = the bread
• die brode = the breads

If you said just deeg, that would be more like dough in a general sense, depending on the context.

Here maklik means easily, so it is functioning like an adverb in English.

Afrikaans often uses the same form for both adjective and adverb:

• ’n maklike resep = an easy recipe
• Sy werk maklik. = She works easily

So in knie sy dit maklik, maklik describes how she kneads it.

Yes, that is also possible.

Both are natural:

• Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is, knie sy dit maklik.
• Sy knie dit maklik, alhoewel die deeg klewerig is.

The first version puts more emphasis on the contrast right away by starting with although. The second begins with the main action first.

Yes—this sentence shows two very important Afrikaans patterns at once:

1. Subordinate clause: verb at the end

   • Alhoewel die deeg klewerig is

2. Main clause after fronted element: finite verb in second position

   • knie sy dit maklik

So this one sentence is a very useful model for Afrikaans syntax:

• Alhoewel + clause ... verb at end
• then in the main clause
• verb + subject + rest

If you understand that pattern, many other Afrikaans sentences will make much more sense.