Breakdown of Hij kan vandaag niet rijden.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
niet
not
vandaag
today
kunnen
can
rijden
to drive
Questions & Answers about Hij kan vandaag niet rijden.
Why is the verb kan instead of kant for 'he'?
Most regular verbs add a -t for hij (he), but modal verbs like kunnen (can/to be able to) are irregular. For ik (I), jij (you), and hij (he), the form is simply kan without a -t.
Why is rijden (drive) at the very end of the sentence?
When you use a modal verb like kan, it takes the normal second position in the sentence. The main action verb (rijden) is then pushed to the very end and stays in its full dictionary form (the infinitive).
Why does vandaag (today) come right after the first verb?
In Dutch sentences, words that tell you when something happens (like vandaag) usually come as early as possible, right after the conjugated verb in the second position.
Why is niet (not) placed right before rijden?
The word niet is negating the action of driving. In a sentence with a modal verb, niet usually goes right before the main action verb at the end of the sentence.
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