Questions & Answers about Alles is goed.
Why do we use is here instead of a plural verb like zijn? "Everything" sounds like a plural.
Just like in English ("everything is"), the Dutch word alles takes a singular verb. You treat it as one single concept, so you must use is.
What is the difference between alles and allemaal? Could I say "Allemaal is goed"?
No, you must use alles here. Alles means "everything" (all things). Allemaal is used to emphasize that a specific group of people or things are all doing something (for example, "we all go" is wij gaan allemaal). When "everything" is the main subject of your sentence, always use alles.
The translation says "fine", but doesn't goed usually mean "good"?
Yes, goed is the direct translation of "good". However, in Dutch, alles is goed is the standard, natural way to say "everything is fine" or "everything is okay". You can also use it to literally mean "everything is good", for instance when a waiter asks how your food tastes.
How would I turn this into a question to ask "Is everything fine?"?
You just swap the subject (alles) and the verb (is). The question becomes Is alles goed? This swapping rule is how you make most simple questions in Dutch.
Learn Alles is goed and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free