Questions & Answers about Zijn kleren zijn oud.
Why is the word zijn used twice in this sentence?
It looks a bit funny, but it's just a coincidence! The first zijn is the possessive pronoun meaning "his". The second zijn is the plural verb meaning "are" (from the verb zijn, "to be"). So it translates perfectly to "His clothes are."
Since this lesson is about deze and dit, how would I say "These clothes are old"?
Why is it oud and not oude? Doesn't the adjective get an -e for plural words?
It only gets an -e if the adjective comes directly before the noun, like in zijn oude kleren (his old clothes). When the adjective comes after a verb like "to be" (as in "the clothes are old"), it never gets the extra -e.
Is kleren always plural, like "clothes" in English?
Yes! Just like in English, kleren is always a plural word. If you want to talk about a single item of clothing, you have to name the specific item (like een trui for "a sweater") or use the word een kledingstuk (a piece of clothing).
Learn Zijn kleren zijn oud and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free