Breakdown of Ik blijf vandaag in bed, want ik ben ziek.
ik
I
zijn
to be
vandaag
today
in
in
het bed
the bed
want
because
blijven
to stay
ziek
sick
Questions & Answers about Ik blijf vandaag in bed, want ik ben ziek.
Why doesn't want change the word order of the second part?
The word want (because) is a coordinating conjunction. This means it simply links two normal sentences together. The second sentence, ik ben ziek, keeps the standard Subject-Verb word order. Later you will learn other words for 'because' that do push the verb to the end, but want keeps things simple!
Why is vandaag placed before in bed? Can I say Ik blijf in bed vandaag?
In Dutch, expressions of time like vandaag almost always come before expressions of place like in bed. English usually puts the time at the very end of the sentence, but Dutch strongly prefers Time before Place. Saying Ik blijf in bed vandaag sounds unnatural.
Is the comma before want required?
Yes! In Dutch, you always put a comma before want when it connects two complete sentences.
Why is there no word for 'am' in ik blijf?
Dutch does not typically use a continuous 'am doing' form like English does. The simple present verb blijf translates to both 'stay' and 'am staying' depending on the context.
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