Breakdown of Die vogels komen nooit binnen.
komen
to come
binnen
inside
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
nooit
never
Questions & Answers about Die vogels komen nooit binnen.
I am learning that komen is an irregular verb. What makes it irregular here?
The spelling looks perfectly normal in the plural form komen, but the irregularity is in the vowel sound. The singular forms have a short 'o' sound (ik kom, hij komt), while the plural has a long 'o' sound (wij komen, zij komen). It is one of the most common verbs in Dutch, so watch out for that subtle sound change!
Why is binnen at the very end of the sentence?
This sentence uses a "separable verb," which is a verb made of two parts. The full dictionary verb is binnenkomen (to come inside or to enter). In a standard main clause like this, the main part (komen) takes the second position, and the prefix (binnen) gets kicked to the very end of the sentence.
Why is the verb komen and not komt?
Komen is the plural form of the verb, which matches the plural subject die vogels (those birds). In Dutch, plural subjects (we, you all, they) always use the full infinitive form of the verb.
Why do we use die for "those"?
Die means "that" or "those". For any plural noun, like vogels (birds), you always use die to point them out. You only have to worry about whether a word is a de or het word when it is singular.