Questions & Answers about De korte pauze begint nu.
Why is it korte and not just kort?
The base adjective is kort (short). When an adjective comes directly before a noun with the article de, it gets an extra -e at the end. Since pauze is a de word, we write de korte pauze.
How do I pronounce the -e at the end of korte?
The added -e on adjectives is always pronounced like a soft "uh" sound (called a schwa). So korte sounds a bit like "KOR-tuh".
Why does the verb begint end in a -t here?
The subject of the sentence is de korte pauze (the short break), which acts like an "it". In Dutch, when the subject is he, she, or it (third-person singular), you take the verb stem (begin) and add a -t to get begint.
Can I put nu at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can say Nu begint de korte pauze. to put emphasis on "now". But remember the "verb second" rule! If you put nu first, the verb begint must come immediately after it, pushing the subject de korte pauze after the verb.
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