Breakdown of Blijf jij binnen, tenzij de bliksem stopt?
jij
you
binnen
inside
blijven
to stay
stoppen
to stop
tenzij
unless
de bliksem
the lightning
Questions & Answers about Blijf jij binnen, tenzij de bliksem stopt?
Why is the verb stopt at the very end of the sentence?
The word tenzij (unless) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause, which pushes the verb (stopt) to the end of that clause.
Is binnen part of the verb in the first clause?
Yes, the full verb is binnenblijven (to stay inside), which is a separable verb. In a main clause, the verb splits: the core verb (blijf) takes its normal position, and the prefix (binnen) moves to the end of that clause, right before the comma.
Why is it Blijf jij instead of Blijft jij?
When you form a question in Dutch and the subject jij (or je) comes immediately after the verb, you drop the -t at the end of the verb. So the statement Jij blijft becomes the question Blijf jij.
Is there a rule to remember that bliksem is a de word?
Yes! A helpful trick is that almost all weather phenomena in Dutch are de words. Along with de bliksem (the lightning), you also say de regen (the rain), de sneeuw (the snow), and de wind (the wind).
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