Breakdown of Toen ik jong was, hoorde ik een verhaal over een voorouder van drie eeuwen geleden.
ik
I
zijn
to be
een
a/an
jong
young
drie
three
het verhaal
the story
horen
to hear
over
about
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
toen
when / then (in the past)
de eeuw
the century
geleden
ago
de voorouder
the ancestor
Questions & Answers about Toen ik jong was, hoorde ik een verhaal over een voorouder van drie eeuwen geleden.
Why does geleden come at the very end of the phrase drie eeuwen geleden?
Geleden means "ago". In Dutch, it acts as a postposition, which means it must always be placed immediately after the duration of time it refers to (drie eeuwen). Notice that English does the exact same thing with the word "ago"!
Why do we use the word van right before the time phrase?
In this context, van means "from". It is used as a preposition to link the noun een voorouder (an ancestor) to the time phrase drie eeuwen geleden. Just like in English, you are talking about a specific ancestor "from" three centuries ago.
Why is it hoorde ik instead of ik hoorde after the comma?
The sentence starts with the subordinate clause Toen ik jong was. Because this entire time clause takes up the first position in the main sentence, the verb hoorde must come right after the comma to stay in the second position. This is the classic Dutch V2 (verb-second) rule. The subject ik is pushed to the spot right after the verb.
Could I use Wanneer instead of Toen to say "When I was young"?
No, you have to use Toen. In Dutch, toen is strictly used for a single, specific event or a continuous period in the past (like your youth). Wanneer is only used for asking questions ("when?") or for conditions meaning "whenever" in the present or future.
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