Breakdown of Spreek jij Engels?
jij
you
spreken
to speak (a language) / to speak (give a statement / speak for someone)
Engels
English
Questions & Answers about Spreek jij Engels?
Why is there no 't' at the end of Spreek?
Normally, the verb for jij gets a -t added to the stem (like Jij spreekt). However, when you ask a question and jij comes right after the verb, that -t is dropped. That is why it is Spreek jij instead of Spreekt jij.
Why isn't there a word for 'Do' at the beginning of this question?
English uses 'Do' to make a question, like 'Do you speak?'. Dutch does not use helper words like this for simple questions. Instead, you just swap the subject and the verb. Jij spreekt (You speak) simply becomes Spreek jij? (Speak you?).
Could I use je instead of jij here?
Yes! Spreek je Engels? is perfectly correct and very common for casual conversation. You use jij when you want to put a little extra emphasis on the person you are asking, as if to say 'Do you speak English?'.
Are languages always capitalized in Dutch like Engels is here?
Yes. Just like in English, the names of languages, countries, and nationalities always start with a capital letter in Dutch.
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