Questions & Answers about Waarom ben je boos?
Why does the verb ben come before je?
In Dutch questions, the verb always comes right after the question word. So you start with the question word (Waarom), followed immediately by the verb (ben), and then the subject (je).
Normally it is je bent. Why is the 't' missing in ben je?
You remembered the conjugation correctly! However, Dutch has a special rule for the 'you' form: when the verb comes before je or jij in a question, it drops the -t at the end. That is why it becomes ben je instead of bent je.
Is the word waarom made up of two different words?
Yes! It combines waar (where) and om (for/about). It works just like the old English word 'wherefore' to mean 'why'.
Can I say Waarom ben jij boos instead?
Absolutely. Je is the normal, unstressed word for 'you'. You would use jij if you really want to emphasize the word 'you', like asking 'Why are YOU angry? (I should be the angry one!)'.