Breakdown of De auto van mijn vader is groot.
zijn
to be
groot
big
de auto
the car
mijn
my
de vader
the father
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
Questions & Answers about De auto van mijn vader is groot.
Why does it say de auto van mijn vader instead of mijn vaders auto?
While mijn vaders auto is grammatically correct, Dutch speakers usually prefer using van (of) to show possession. You will hear de auto van mijn vader (literally 'the car of my father') much more often in everyday conversation.
Why is the adjective groot and not grote here?
You only add an -e to an adjective when it comes directly before the noun it describes, like in de grote auto. Because groot comes after the verb is in this sentence, it stays in its basic, uninflected form.
Could I just say mijn vader auto is groot?
No, you cannot put two nouns next to each other like that in Dutch to show ownership. You must either use van (de auto van mijn vader) or add an -s to the owner (mijn vaders auto).
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