Breakdown of Ik eet graag rijst met kip.
ik
I
eten
to eat
met
with
graag
gladly
de rijst
the rice
de kip
the chicken
Questions & Answers about Ik eet graag rijst met kip.
Why is there no Dutch verb for 'like' in this sentence?
In English, 'like' is a verb. In Dutch, you use the adverb graag (which means gladly or willingly) along with the main action verb. So Ik eet graag literally means 'I eat gladly', which is how the Dutch express 'I like to eat'.
Why does graag come right after the verb eet?
As an adverb expressing your feeling about the action, graag usually sits right after the conjugated verb. It modifies the verb to show that you enjoy doing it. You cannot put it before the verb like you do in English.
How would I change this to say I prefer eating rice with chicken?
You would replace graag with its comparative form, liever. The sentence becomes Ik eet liever rijst met kip (I prefer to eat rice with chicken). If it is your absolute favorite meal, you would use het liefst: Ik eet het liefst rijst met kip (I like eating rice with chicken best).
Why don't we say de rijst and de kip?
Just like in English, you can leave out the article ('the') when talking about uncountable foods or general ingredients. You are talking about rice and chicken in general here, not a specific bowl of rice or a specific live chicken.
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