Breakdown of Ik schrik soms van de hond.
ik
I
de hond
the dog
soms
sometimes
schrikken van
to be startled by
Questions & Answers about Ik schrik soms van de hond.
Why does this sentence use van instead of a literal translation for 'by'?
This is because of the fixed preposition. The verb schrikken (to be startled or to get a fright) is always paired with van. Just like in English you might say 'scared of' instead of 'scared by', in Dutch you must memorize the combination schrikken van.
The English translation says 'I am startled', but I don't see a word for 'am' in the Dutch sentence. Why is that?
In English, 'to be startled' is a passive phrase using the verb 'to be'. Dutch handles this differently: schrikken is an active verb. You are literally saying 'I startle sometimes from the dog'.
Why is soms placed where it is?
Soms (sometimes) is an adverb of time. In a standard Dutch main clause, time adverbs typically come right after the conjugated verb. Here, it correctly follows schrik.
Is schrikken a regular verb?
No, it is an irregular (strong) verb. As a quick refresher, its past tense is schrok and its past participle is geschrokken.