Breakdown of Onze baas is niet blij.
zijn
to be
niet
not
blij
happy
onze
our (de-words, plurals)
de baas
the boss
Questions & Answers about Onze baas is niet blij.
Why do we use onze here instead of ons?
The Dutch word for "our" has two forms: ons and onze. We use onze here because baas is a de word (de baas). You only use ons with singular het words.
Since onze means "our", does that mean there are multiple bosses?
Not in this sentence! Onze just means that the boss belongs to "us" (plural owners). The word baas itself is singular. If we wanted to say "our bosses", we would say onze bazen.
Could I use geen instead of niet to say the boss is not happy?
No, you have to use niet here. You use geen to negate a noun (meaning "no" or "not a"). Because blij (happy) is an adjective describing how the boss feels, you must use niet.
Why is niet placed right before blij?
When you want to say that something is not a certain way, niet goes directly in front of the adjective it negates. Since we are saying the boss is not happy, niet goes right before blij.
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