Breakdown of Hij hoopt stiekem dat het horloge niet nep is.
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
niet
not
het horloge
the watch
hopen
to hope
dat
that (conjunction)
nep
fake
stiekem
secretly
Questions & Answers about Hij hoopt stiekem dat het horloge niet nep is.
Why is niet placed before nep?
In this sentence, niet specifically negates the adjective nep (fake), so it goes right before it. Furthermore, because this is a subordinate clause introduced by dat, the verb is gets pushed to the very end of the sentence. This means niet cannot be placed at the end like it sometimes is in main clauses.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The word dat (that) introduces a subordinate clause. A major rule you have learned is that in Dutch subordinate clauses, the verb must always be moved to the end of the phrase.
Could I use geen instead of niet in this sentence?
Why does the adverb stiekem come right after the verb hoopt?
In a standard Dutch main clause like Hij hoopt stiekem, the conjugated verb is always in the second position. Adverbs that describe how the action is done, like stiekem (secretly), typically come immediately after this verb.
Learn Hij hoopt stiekem dat het horloge niet nep is 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