Breakdown of Er ligt twee meter draad op de tafel.
twee
two
op
on
de tafel
the table
er
there (existential)
liggen
to lie
de draad
the thread
de meter
the meter
Questions & Answers about Er ligt twee meter draad op de tafel.
Why is it meter and not meters if there are two of them?
This is the focus of your current lesson! In Dutch, units of measurement (like meter, kilo, liter), currency, and time generally stay in the singular form when they come right after a number. Because of this rule, it is always twee meter rather than twee meters.
Where is the word for "of" in twee meter draad?
Dutch doesn't use a preposition like "of" (van) when a unit of measurement is followed by the substance being measured. You just place the nouns right next to each other: twee meter draad literally translates as "two meter thread."
Why is the verb ligt singular when the sentence is about two meters?
The verb matches the actual substance being measured, which is draad (thread). Because draad is treated as a singular, uncountable mass here, the verb takes the singular form ligt.
Why does the sentence use Er ligt instead of Er is?
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