Questions & Answers about Waar is de nieuwe auto?
Why is it nieuwe instead of just nieuw?
When an adjective comes directly before a noun, we usually add an -e to it. Because auto is a de word, the adjective gets this extra -e ending, making it nieuwe auto.
Would it still be nieuwe if the noun was a het word?
Yes, because this sentence uses a specific article (the). If it were a het word with het in front of it, it would also get the -e, like het nieuwe boek (the new book). The only time we drop the -e is when a het word follows een (a) or has no article at all, like een nieuw boek.
Why doesn't nieuw get an -e if I just say De auto is nieuw?
We only add the -e ending when the adjective is placed directly in front of the noun it describes. When the adjective comes later in the sentence after a verb like is, it stays in its basic dictionary form (nieuw).
Why is the verb is the second word in the sentence?
A question word like Waar (Where) takes the first spot in this type of question. In Dutch, the main verb (is) loves the second position, so it must immediately follow the question word. The subject of the sentence (de nieuwe auto) then comes right after the verb.
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