Questions & Answers about Mijn zus is vierendertig.
How do you build the number vierendertig?
In Dutch, two-digit numbers are flipped compared to English. You say the single digit first, then en (and), and then the ten. So vierendertig is literally "four-and-thirty" (vier + en + dertig).
Are numbers like vierendertig always written together as one long word?
Yes! In Dutch, all numbers up to one thousand are written together as a single word, with no spaces or hyphens in between.
Does Dutch usually leave out "years old" when talking about age, like in this sentence?
Yes, just like in English, you can simply say someone is vierendertig. If you wanted to be specific and include "years old", you would add jaar oud at the end: Mijn zus is vierendertig jaar oud. Notice that Dutch uses the singular jaar (year) here, not a plural.
I've sometimes seen the word zuster translated as sister. Why use zus here?
Zus is the standard, everyday word for a sister in a family. Zuster is an older word that is nowadays mostly used to mean a female nurse or a nun.