Breakdown of Straf je de jongen wanneer hij stout is?
zijn
to be
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
de jongen
the boy
wanneer
when
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
stout
naughty
straffen
to punish
Questions & Answers about Straf je de jongen wanneer hij stout is?
Why is it Straf je without a -t at the end of the verb?
The verb is straffen (to punish), and its stem is straf. Normally you add a -t for "you" (je straft), but when the subject je or jij comes directly after the verb (like in a question), that -t is dropped.
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The word wanneer (when) introduces a subordinate clause (wanneer hij stout is). In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the very end of the clause.
Is the Dutch word stout related to the English word "stout"?
They look the same, but they are false friends! While English "stout" usually means thick, heavy, or a dark beer, the Dutch word stout means "naughty" or "bad", and it is typically used to describe children or pets.
Could I say als hij stout is instead of wanneer hij stout is?
Yes, absolutely. Als and wanneer both mean "when" (and sometimes "if") in this context. They are interchangeable here, and als is very commonly used in everyday spoken Dutch.
How would I say "Do you punish the boy FOR being naughty?" using the grammar from this lesson?
You would use an anticipatory pronominal adverb, specifically ervoor (for it). The sentence would become: Straf je de jongen ervoor dat hij stout is? (Literally: Do you punish the boy for it that he is naughty?). This is the common Dutch way to connect a preposition to a following dat-clause.
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