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?
Yes! Je is the unstressed, everyday version of 'you'. If you wanted to put emphasis on the person (for example: 'You may write it down, but he may not'), you would use the stressed form jij.
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