Breakdown of Wat zoek je in de tas?
in
in
wat
what
zoeken
to look for
de tas
the bag
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
Questions & Answers about Wat zoek je in de tas?
Why is there no word for 'for' in the Dutch sentence?
The Dutch verb zoeken means 'to look for' or 'to search'. The 'for' is already built into the verb, so you don't need to add an extra word in Dutch.
What is the word order when using a question word like wat?
In Dutch, questions starting with a question word like wat (what), wie (who), or waar (where) follow a strict order: Question word + Verb + Subject. Here, that is Wat + zoek + je.
Why is it zoek je and not zoekt je?
Normally, the je (you) form gets a -t at the end of the verb. However, there is a special rule for questions: when je or jij comes directly after the verb, that -t is dropped.
Can I use jij instead of je here?
Yes! Wat zoek jij in de tas? is perfectly fine. Je is just the unstressed, everyday version of 'you', while jij puts a little more emphasis on the person (as in, 'What are YOU looking for?').
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