Breakdown of Hoeveel koekjes bak jij in de oven? Ik bak er genoeg.
ik
I
jij
you
in
in
het koekje
the cookie
hoeveel
how much / how many
bakken
to fry / to bake
genoeg
enough
er
of them (with a number or quantity)
de oven
the oven
Questions & Answers about Hoeveel koekjes bak jij in de oven? Ik bak er genoeg.
What does er mean in the sentence Ik bak er genoeg?
In this sentence, er acts as the quantitative er. It replaces the noun koekjes (cookies) from the first sentence so you do not have to repeat it. When you use a quantity word like genoeg (enough) without repeating the noun, Dutch requires you to add er. It translates perfectly to "of them" in English: "I am baking enough of them."
Could I just say Ik bak genoeg and leave out er?
No, that would sound incorrect in Dutch! Unlike English, where you can simply say "I am baking enough," Dutch requires you to use er whenever you state a quantity of something but leave out the specific noun you are counting.
Where exactly does quantitative er go in a sentence?
Why is it bak jij in the first sentence instead of bakt jij?
Normally, the jij (you) form gets a -t at the end of the verb, as in jij bakt. However, when you ask a question and the verb is placed in front of jij or je (this swapping is called inversion), that -t is dropped. That is why it becomes bak jij.
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