Questions & Answers about Ik zie twee flessen op de tafel.
Why is it spelled "flessen" with a double 's' when the singular word is "fles"?
This happens because of the Dutch spelling rules for keeping vowels short. The 'e' in fles is a short vowel. When we add the plural -en ending, we have to double the consonant 's' to flessen to "lock in" that short sound. If we wrote flesen, the 'e' would become a long vowel sound.
Since this lesson is about diminutives, how would I change this sentence to say "two little bottles"?
You would say twee flesjes. To do this, you take the singular noun fles and add the basic suffix -je to get flesje (little bottle). To make any diminutive plural in Dutch, you always just add an -s at the end, giving you flesjes.
Can I also use the basic "-je" suffix to turn "tafel" into a "little table"?
Not quite! While -je is the standard ending you are learning right now, words ending in a vowel plus an l, m, n, r, or w often get slightly different endings to make them easier to pronounce. A "little table" is actually a tafeltje. You will learn these extra endings in an upcoming lesson!
Does "op de tafel" mean the bottles are literally resting on top of the table?