Breakdown of De zon draait niet om de aarde.
niet
not
de zon
the sun
de aarde
the Earth (planet)
draaien
to turn / to revolve
Questions & Answers about De zon draait niet om de aarde.
Why does niet come right after the verb instead of at the end of the sentence?
In Dutch main clauses, niet usually comes after the conjugated verb (draait). When the sentence includes a prepositional phrase that describes the direction or location of the action (om de aarde), niet is usually placed right before that phrase.
Where is the word for 'does' in the Dutch sentence?
English uses 'does not' to make a verb negative, but Dutch doesn't use 'to do' as a helper verb. You simply put the negator right after the main verb. So, 'does not revolve' translates literally to 'revolves not' (draait niet).
I learned that om means 'at' for telling time. Why is it used here for 'around'?
The preposition om has a few different meanings depending on the context. While it means 'at' for time (om acht uur), it means 'around' when used with physical movement or location. You could also use rond, but draaien om is the most natural way to say 'to revolve around' something.
Does the verb draaien only apply to planets?
No, draaien is the standard Dutch verb for 'to turn'. You can use it for turning a steering wheel, spinning in a circle, or even playing (spinning) a song on the radio. Here it takes on the meaning of 'to revolve' because of the context.