Breakdown of Welke taal spreekt u?
u
you (formal)
welke
which (for de-words and plural)
de taal
the language
spreken
to speak (a language) / to speak (give a statement / speak for someone)
Questions & Answers about Welke taal spreekt u?
Why do we use welke instead of welk in this sentence?
We use welke because taal (language) is a de-word (de taal). You only use welk before het-words.
Why does the verb spreekt keep its -t ending here? Doesn't the -t usually drop in questions?
The -t only drops for the informal "you" (jij or je) when it comes directly after the verb. Because this sentence uses the formal "you" (u), the verb keeps its -t ending.
Could I say Wat taal spreekt u? instead?
No, that sounds incorrect in Dutch. While English speakers often ask "What language," Dutch speakers use welke (which) because you are asking about a specific category or making a choice from a known group of languages.
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