Breakdown of Voor het hoofdgerecht neem ik het liefst friet.
ik
I
nemen
to take (general, abstract, e.g., transport, medicine)
voor
for (on behalf of)
het hoofdgerecht
the main course
de friet
the fries
liefst
most (preferably)
Questions & Answers about Voor het hoofdgerecht neem ik het liefst friet.
How does het liefst translate to 'like having ... best'?
het liefst is the highest level (superlative) of graag. While graag means you like doing something, and liever means you prefer to do it, het liefst means you like doing it most of all. Combined with the verb neem, it literally means 'I most like to take'.
Why is the word order neem ik instead of ik neem?
Because the sentence starts with the phrase Voor het hoofdgerecht (For the main course). In Dutch, the main conjugated verb must always stay in the second position of the sentence. When you start with anything other than the subject, the subject (ik) has to swap places and jump right behind the verb (neem). This is called inversion.
Why use neem instead of the Dutch word for 'have' here?
In English you commonly say 'I will have the fries', but in Dutch, when you are ordering or choosing food and drinks, you use the verb nemen (to take). If you used hebben (to have) here, it would sound like you are simply declaring that you already possess some fries!
How is the word hoofdgerecht formed?
It is a compound word made of hoofd (head / main) and gerecht (dish / course). You will also see this useful pattern on Dutch menus for the other courses: voorgerecht (starter / literally 'before-dish') and nagerecht (dessert / literally 'after-dish').
Learn Voor het hoofdgerecht neem ik het liefst friet and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free