Breakdown of Knikkend accepteert zij het cadeautje.
zij
she
het cadeau
the gift
accepteren
to accept
knikken
to nod
Questions & Answers about Knikkend accepteert zij het cadeautje.
How do you form the word knikkend?
It is made by taking the infinitive verb knikken (to nod) and adding -d. This creates the present participle, which translates to an '-ing' word in English. Here it is used as an adverb to describe how she is doing the action.
Why is the word order accepteert zij instead of zij accepteert?
Because the sentence starts with the adverb knikkend. In Dutch, when you put anything other than the subject at the beginning of the sentence, the verb and the subject swap places. This rule is called inversion.
Why does cadeautje have a t in the diminutive ending?
The base word is cadeau (present). For nouns ending in a long vowel sound like -o, -a, or -u, the diminutive suffix is usually -tje instead of just -je. This makes it a small or cute present.
Can I use ze instead of zij in this sentence?
Yes, both are grammatically correct. Zij is the stressed pronoun, which puts a little extra focus on the fact that she is the one accepting the gift. If you do not want that extra emphasis, you can use the unstressed ze.