Questions & Answers about De man is ook oud.
Why is the verb is instead of the plural zijn that we are learning in this lesson?
Because De man (the man) is a singular subject, it uses the singular verb is. If the subject were plural, such as the pronoun zij (they) from this lesson, you would use the plural verb: Zij zijn ook oud (They are also old).
Why does ook come after the verb rather than before it?
In standard Dutch sentences, the conjugated verb must take the second position. Here, the subject De man is in position one, so the verb is comes second. The adverb ook (also) has to follow it, rather than preceding it like it often does in English.
De man is a de-word. Why doesn't the adjective have an -e ending (oude)?
Adjectives only get an added -e when they are placed directly in front of the noun, like in de oude man (the old man). When the adjective comes after the verb, it keeps its basic dictionary form: oud.
If I want to replace De man with a pronoun from this lesson, which one do I use?
This lesson teaches plural pronouns like wij (we) and zij/ze (they). However, because De man is just one person, you cannot use a plural pronoun here. You must use the singular pronoun hij (he), making the sentence Hij is ook oud.
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