Breakdown of Vroeger fietste ik vaak naar de universiteit.
ik
I
naar
to
fietsen
to cycle
vaak
often
vroeger
in the past
de universiteit
the university
Questions & Answers about Vroeger fietste ik vaak naar de universiteit.
Why is the verb fietste and not fietsde?
The infinitive verb is fietsen (to cycle). If you remove the -en, the root is fiets, which ends in s. Because s is a voiceless consonant found in the memory aid 't kofschip, we use the ending -te for the regular simple past. Since the subject ik is singular, the final word is fietste.
Why is the word order fietste ik instead of ik fietste?
Because the sentence starts with Vroeger, which is an adverb of time. In Dutch, whenever you start a sentence with anything other than the subject, the verb comes first and the subject immediately follows it. This rule is called inversion.
How does vroeger translate to "in the past"?
Literally, vroeger means "earlier" (it is the comparative form of vroeg, meaning early). However, it is the standard Dutch word for "in the past" or "back in the days". When paired with the past tense like it is here, it is the most natural way to express the English concept of "I used to do something".
Why do we use naar for "to" the university?
When you are talking about physical travel or movement toward a destination, such as a building, a city, or an event, you almost always use the preposition naar.
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