Questions & Answers about Ik wil de traagste trein niet nemen.
Why does traagste have an -e at the end?
The base word for slow is traag, and its superlative (slowest) is traagst. Because it comes directly before the noun trein, we add an -e to the end, just like we do with most normal adjectives. We always add this -e for definite nouns (words using de or het).
Why does the spelling stay as traagste with a double a, instead of dropping one a?
In Dutch, we usually drop a double vowel when adding an ending if the syllable becomes open (ends in a vowel). However, because traagst has so many consonants at the end, the a is still closed in by the g, s, and t. So, traag keeps its double a to maintain the long vowel sound.
Why is niet placed after de traagste trein instead of before it?
When you negate a sentence that has a specific, definite object (like the slowest train instead of just a train), the word niet comes after that object. It is placed after de traagste trein but before the final verb nemen.
Why is nemen at the very end of the sentence?