Breakdown of De brief van de gemeente betekende niets.
de brief
the letter
niets
nothing
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
betekenen
to mean
Questions & Answers about De brief van de gemeente betekende niets.
Why does betekende get a -de ending instead of -te?
The infinitive of the verb is betekenen. When we remove the -en ending, we get the stem beteken, which ends in the letter n. Because n is a voiced consonant (it is not in the soft ketchup / 't kofschip rule), we add -de for the singular past tense.
How do I know betekende is the simple past and not a past participle (like 'has meant')?
The simple past of betekenen for a singular subject (like de brief) is betekende. If it were a past participle ('has meant'), it would be spelled with just a -d at the end and paired with a helper verb, like heeft betekend. Because there is an -e on the end and no helper verb, it is definitely the simple past.
Does van mean 'from' or 'of' in this sentence?
It can mean both! You can translate this as 'the letter from the municipality' or 'the letter of the municipality'. In Dutch, van is used to show both origin (where something came from) and possession (who it belongs to).
Could I say niks instead of niets here?