Breakdown of Het kind was nieuwsgierig naar het speelgoed.
zijn
to be
het kind
the child
naar
to
nieuwsgierig
curious
het speelgoed
the toys
Questions & Answers about Het kind was nieuwsgierig naar het speelgoed.
Why do we use was here, and what is the plural form?
We use was because the subject, het kind (the child), is singular. Was is the singular simple past tense of zijn (to be). If the subject were plural, like de kinderen (the children), you would use waren.
Why does the sentence use naar instead of a word for "about"?
Prepositions often do not translate directly between English and Dutch. The adjective nieuwsgierig is almost always followed by the preposition naar (which often means "to" or "towards"). It is best to memorize nieuwsgierig naar as a set phrase meaning "curious about".
The English translation says "the toys" (plural), but isn't het a singular article?
Yes, het speelgoed is a singular, uncountable noun in Dutch. It works just like the English words "equipment" or "luggage". Whether it is one toy or a whole room full of them, it is always referred to as het speelgoed.
Is there a trick to remembering the long word nieuwsgierig?
Yes! It is a compound word made of nieuw (new) and gierig (greedy or stingy). You can think of a curious person as being "greedy for new things". This literal breakdown makes the vocabulary much easier to remember.
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