Learn Dutch: U heeft geen hond, meneer.

U heeft geen hond, meneer.

You have no dog, sir.

Breakdown of U heeft geen hond, meneer.

Questions & Answers about U heeft geen hond, meneer.

Why is it heeft instead of hebt for u?

For the formal 'you' (u), the verb hebben (to have) actually has two correct present tense forms: hebt and heeft. Both are perfectly fine to use, but u heeft sounds slightly more formal and polite. This matches perfectly with the respectful word meneer (sir) at the end of the sentence.

Why do we use geen here instead of niet?

In Dutch, geen is used to negate nouns that are indefinite, translating directly to 'no' or 'not a'. Because you are saying 'no dog', you must use geen hond. You would only use niet if you were negating a specific dog, for example if you said 'You don't have the dog' (U heeft de hond niet).

If I turn this into a question, does the verb drop its ending like it does for jij?

No, it keeps its full form. When you swap the subject and verb to ask a question with the informal jij or je, you drop the 't' (for example, heb jij). But the formal u never drops its ending. So if you asked 'Do you have no dog, sir?', it would remain Heeft u geen hond, meneer? (or Hebt u...).

Can meneer also mean 'Mister'?

Yes! When used on its own as a polite address to a man, as it is in this sentence, meneer means 'sir'. However, it is also the exact same word used for 'Mister' (Mr.) when placed in front of a man's last name, such as meneer Jansen.