Breakdown of Mijn tantes oplader is niet kapot.
zijn
to be
niet
not
mijn
my
kapot
broken
de tante
the aunt
de oplader
the charger
Questions & Answers about Mijn tantes oplader is niet kapot.
Why is there no apostrophe in tantes?
In Dutch, you usually just add an -s to a name or family member to make it possessive. You only need an apostrophe if adding the -s would change how the vowel sounds. Because tante ends in an unstressed e, adding an -s directly doesn't mess up the pronunciation. If it ended in a long vowel like a, o, or u (like oma), you would need an apostrophe (oma's) to keep the vowel long.
Could I say de oplader van mijn tante instead?
Yes, absolutely! Using van (of) is the most common way in Dutch to show possession. Mijn tantes oplader and de oplader van mijn tante mean the exact same thing. Using the -s ending is just a slightly shorter alternative, often used for family members and names.
How can I remember the word oplader?
It comes from the verb opladen, which means "to charge" (literally "to load up"). Just like in English, adding -er to the end of the verb turns it into the noun for the object doing the action (to charge -> charger).
Why does niet go directly before kapot?
When you use niet (not) to negate a specific adjective, it usually goes right in front of that adjective. The sentence structure here matches English perfectly: "is not broken" translates word-for-word to is niet kapot.
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