Questions & Answers about Ergens dichtbij woont mijn broer.
Why is it woont mijn broer instead of mijn broer woont?
Because the sentence starts with Ergens dichtbij (Somewhere close by). In Dutch, the main verb must almost always be the second block of information in a sentence. Since the location takes the first spot, the subject (mijn broer) has to swap places with the verb (woont) to keep the verb in position two. This swap is called inversion.
Does Ergens dichtbij count as one position or two in the sentence?
It counts as just one position! Even though it is two words, Ergens dichtbij functions as a single piece of information (the location). Because it acts as block number one, the verb woont comes immediately after it as block number two.
Could I write this sentence without swapping the subject and the verb?
Yes, you can avoid the inversion by starting with the subject: Mijn broer woont ergens dichtbij. Putting Ergens dichtbij at the very beginning of the sentence is simply a way to place special emphasis on where he lives.
What does ergens mean on its own?
Ergens means "somewhere". It is part of a very useful set of location words in Dutch: ergens (somewhere), nergens (nowhere), and overal (everywhere).