Breakdown of Hij is niet de arts, meneer.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
meneer
sir / Mr.
de arts
the doctor
Questions & Answers about Hij is niet de arts, meneer.
Why does niet come before de arts in this sentence?
In Dutch, the word for not (niet) usually comes directly before the specific thing you are negating. Since we are saying he is not the doctor, niet goes right in front of de arts.
Is there a difference between arts and dokter?
Both words mean doctor and you can use them interchangeably in most situations. Arts is slightly more formal and is often used in official job titles, similar to the English word physician, while dokter is common in everyday speech.
This lesson is about the formal you (u). Why isn't u used in this sentence?
We are talking about a third person (hij meaning he), not talking directly to the person as you. However, the word meneer (sir) sets a polite, formal tone. If you changed the sentence to say You are not the doctor, sir, you would use the formal pronoun from this lesson: U bent niet de arts, meneer.