Breakdown of Het onkruid in de tuin blijft groeien.
in
in
blijven
to stay
groeien
to grow
de tuin
the garden
het onkruid
the weeds
Questions & Answers about Het onkruid in de tuin blijft groeien.
How does blijft groeien mean "keep growing"? Doesn't blijven mean "to stay"?
Yes, blijven literally means "to stay." But when you pair it with the full dictionary form of another verb (the infinitive, like groeien), it takes on the meaning of continuing an action. So blijven groeien means to "keep growing."
Why is onkruid paired with the singular verb blijft if it translates to "weeds" (plural)?
In Dutch, onkruid is a singular, uncountable noun, much like the word "grass" or "dirt" in English. Even if your garden is completely full of them, you still treat it as a singular "it", which is why it takes the singular verb blijft.
Why is in de tuin placed before blijft? Doesn't the verb have to be in the second position?
The verb is in the second position here! The entire phrase Het onkruid in de tuin (The weeds in the garden) acts as one single, long subject in Position 1. The verb blijft comes directly after this complete block, putting it correctly in Position 2.
Should I use te to say "keep to grow", like blijft te groeien?
Nope! In Dutch, certain verbs like blijven (to stay/keep), gaan (to go), and komen (to come) connect directly to an infinitive verb without needing the word te. You just link them straight together: blijft groeien.
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