Breakdown of Ik spreek Nederlands en Engels.
Nederlands
Dutch
spreken
to speak (a language) / to speak (give a statement / speak for someone)
Engels
English
Questions & Answers about Ik spreek Nederlands en Engels.
How do we get spreek from the dictionary verb spreken?
To find the ik (I) form, we drop the -en from spreken. If we just left it as sprek, the single e would become a short vowel sound. To keep the long "ay" sound of the original verb, we double the vowel to make it spreek.
Are language names always capitalized in Dutch?
Yes! Just like in English, languages like Nederlands and Engels are always written with a capital letter. Countries and nationalities get capital letters in Dutch, too.
Why do Nederlands and Engels both end in -s?
In Dutch, the names of most languages are formed by adding -s to the name of the country or the root word. For example, Nederland (the Netherlands) becomes Nederlands, and Engeland (England) becomes Engels.
How would I ask "Which languages do you speak?" using this lesson's question words?
You would ask: Welke talen spreek je? The word for language (de taal) is a "de" word, and plural words always use welke (which). You only use welk for singular "het" words.
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