Learn Dutch: Wat hebben jullie nodig?

Wat hebben jullie nodig?

What do you need?

Breakdown of Wat hebben jullie nodig?

Questions & Answers about Wat hebben jullie nodig?

Why are there two words, hebben and nodig, for "need"?

The Dutch expression for "to need" is nodig hebben. It literally translates to "to have necessary". When you use it in a sentence, hebben (to have) acts as the normal verb, while nodig gets pushed to the end of the sentence.

Why does hebben come before the subject jullie?

Because it is a question. In questions starting with a question word like Wat (what), the verb (hebben) must take the second position. The subject (jullie) swaps places with the verb and comes right after it.

Does jullie just mean "you"?

Yes, but jullie is specifically the plural "you" (like "you all" or "you guys"). If you were asking just one person, you would use je or jij (informal) or u (formal), and the verb would change to match: Wat heb je nodig? or Wat heeft u nodig?

How would I answer this question negatively, like "We don't need a bag"?

Because you are negating a noun ("a bag"), you use the word geen. You would say: Wij hebben geen tas nodig. In Dutch, you are literally saying "We have no bag necessary." The word geen replaces "a/an" before the noun, and nodig stays at the very end.