This is the 89th most frequent Afrikaans word.
neem
"Neem" means "take" in English.
The word 'neem' is used in the sense of 'to take' or 'to pick up' in this instance.
Ek neem die sleutel van die tafel af.
I pick up the key from the table.
Here, 'neem' is applied figuratively, meaning 'to take' something emotionally or metaphorically in a personal sense.
Hy neem alles so persoonlik op.
He takes everything so personally.
In this case, 'neem' is used as part of a phrasal verb 'neem deel', which translates to 'to participate' or 'to take part' in English.