Breakdown of Twee obers lopen naar de tafels.
twee
two
lopen
to walk
naar
to
de ober
the waiter
de tafel
the table
Questions & Answers about Twee obers lopen naar de tafels.
Why do obers and tafels get an -s for plural instead of -en?
In Dutch, most plurals get -en. However, nouns that end in an unstressed sound like -er (in ober) or -el (in tafel) usually get an -s instead. This rule makes them much easier to pronounce!
Why is the verb lopen used here instead of a direct translation for 'are walking'?
Dutch does not use a separate 'are doing' or 'is doing' form like English does. Twee obers lopen translates perfectly to both 'Two waiters walk' and 'Two waiters are walking'. Because the subject (Twee obers) is more than one person, we use the plural verb form lopen.
Is the word for 'the' always de before plural words like tafels?
Yes! In the singular, Dutch nouns can use either de or het for 'the'. But in the plural, it is much easier: every single plural noun always uses de.
Does lopen mean 'to walk' or 'to run'?
Usually, lopen translates to 'to walk'. If you want to make it completely clear that someone is running fast or jogging, you would use the verb rennen instead.
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