Log inSign up

Waar zijn de wolken vandaag?

Waar zijn de wolken vandaag?
Where are the clouds today?
From Lesson 17:Plural nouns (-en)·Dutch

Breakdown of Waar zijn de wolken vandaag?

zijn
to be
vandaag
today
waar
where
de wolk
the cloud

Questions & Answers about Waar zijn de wolken vandaag?

How is the plural wolken formed from the singular word for cloud?
The singular word is wolk. To make it plural, we just add the regular -en ending. Because wolk ends in two consonants (l and k), there is no need to double any letters or change the vowel. It simply becomes wolken.
Is cloud a de word or a het word in Dutch?
The singular is de wolk. However, in this sentence, it wouldn't actually matter! In Dutch, all plural nouns always use de as their article, even if their singular form is a het word. Since wolken is plural, it has to be de wolken.
Why is the verb zijn used here instead of is?
Zijn is the dictionary form of the verb "to be", but it is also the specific form used for all plural subjects in the present tense (we are, you all are, they are). Because our subject de wolken (the clouds) is plural, we must use zijn.
Why does the verb zijn come right after Waar?
In Dutch open questions (questions starting with a question word like who, what, where, etc.), the verb always comes in the second position. So, the question word Waar (Where) comes first, immediately followed by the verb zijn (are), and then the subject de wolken.

Learn Waar zijn de wolken vandaag and more in Dutch

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Dutch →