Questions & Answers about Ik begrijp jou helemaal niet.
Why is niet at the very end of this sentence instead of right after the verb?
In Dutch, niet usually comes after a specific object, like the pronoun jou. It also comes after the adverb helemaal because they form a set phrase here that pushes niet to the end.
Does helemaal niet always go together to mean 'not at all'?
Yes! Helemaal literally means 'completely' or 'entirely'. When combined into helemaal niet, it translates to 'not at all' (literally: completely not).
Could I use je instead of jou in this sentence?
Yes, you can perfectly say Ik begrijp je helemaal niet. Using jou instead of the normal je just adds emphasis. It sounds like 'I do not understand you at all' (but maybe I understand someone else).
What happens if I swap the words and say niet helemaal?
The meaning changes completely! Helemaal niet means 'not at all' (you understand nothing). Niet helemaal means 'not completely' (you understand a little bit, but not everything).