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Je mag de verrassing uitpakken!

Je mag de verrassing uitpakken!
You may unwrap the surprise!
From Lesson 122:Partitive adjectives (-s)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about Je mag de verrassing uitpakken!

Why is uitpakken at the very end of the sentence?
Because this sentence uses the modal verb mag (may / to be allowed to). In Dutch, when you use a modal verb, the action verb is pushed to the very end of the sentence in its full dictionary form (the infinitive).
Uitpakken is a separable verb. Why isn't it split up here?
Separable verbs only split when they are the conjugated verb in the present or past tense (for example: Ik pak de verrassing uit - I am unwrapping the surprise). Since mag is the conjugated verb here, uitpakken stays together as a full infinitive at the end of the sentence.
Could I use kan instead of mag here?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Mag comes from mogen, which is about having permission ('You may / are allowed to'). Using kan (from kunnen) would mean 'You have the physical ability to unwrap the surprise,' which isn't usually what you say when giving someone a gift!
Why does verrassing have a double 'r' and a double 's'?
It comes from the verb verrassen (to surprise). The double consonants in Dutch spelling tell us to pronounce the preceding vowel as short. The double s keeps the a a short 'ah' sound. If it only had one s, the a would become a long 'aa' sound.

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