Breakdown of Er is vaak ruzie in de groep.
zijn
to be
in
in
vaak
often
er
there (existential)
de groep
the group
de ruzie
the argument
Questions & Answers about Er is vaak ruzie in de groep.
How could we use elkaar (each other), which we are learning in this lesson, to talk about this group arguing?
Why is it just ruzie and not een ruzie (an argument)?
In English, you have "an argument", which is a countable thing. In Dutch, ruzie is usually treated as an uncountable concept when talking about the general state of fighting or bickering. It is similar to saying "There is often conflict" in English.
Does er is work exactly the same as "there is" in English?
Why does vaak (often) come after the verb here?
In a standard Dutch main clause, the verb must be in the second position. Since Er takes the first spot, the verb is must come next. Time adverbs like vaak typically follow right after the verb.
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