Word
Je mag het woord opschrijven.
Meaning
You may write down the word.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Je mag het woord opschrijven.
het woord
the word
mogen
to be allowed to / may
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
opschrijven
to write down
Questions & Answers about Je mag het woord opschrijven.
Why is opschrijven all one word at the end of the sentence? I thought it splits into schrijf and op.
Because of the modal verb mag. Normally, a separable verb like opschrijven splits (for example: Je schrijft het woord op). But when you use a modal verb, the separable verb is pushed to the very end of the sentence and stays together as a full infinitive word.
Mag goes with je, so why isn't it magt?
Mag comes from the irregular modal verb mogen (to be allowed to / may). Modal verbs are rule-breakers in Dutch. For singular pronouns like ik, je, and hij, they often use a special form without the standard -t ending. So it is just je mag.
What is the difference between using opschrijven and just schrijven?
Schrijven means 'to write', like writing a letter or a book. Opschrijven specifically means 'to write down' or 'to note down'. Because you are noting down a specific word in this sentence, opschrijven is the most natural choice.
Could I use jij instead of je in this sentence?