Questions & Answers about We kopen een groen cadeau.
Why is it groen cadeau and not groene cadeau?
In Dutch, adjectives usually get an -e at the end. But there is a big exception: if a noun is a het word, is singular, and comes after een (a), the adjective does not get the -e. Because cadeau is a het word (het cadeau), we just say een groen cadeau.
If the sentence uses een, how do I know cadeau is a het word?
You have to memorize whether a noun is a de or het word when you first learn it! Since een means 'a' for both groups, the only clue in this specific sentence that cadeau is a het word is the fact that groen dropped its -e ending.
The translation says 'We are buying', but doesn't kopen just mean 'buy'?
Dutch doesn't use an '-ing' form to show that something is happening right now. The simple present tense kopen translates to both 'buy' and 'are buying'. You don't need to add a translation for the English word 'are'.
Cadeau doesn't look like a Dutch word. How is it pronounced?
You are right, it is a word borrowed directly from French. It is pronounced exactly like the French word (kah-DOH). Dutch uses quite a few French loanwords, and they usually keep their original spelling.