Breakdown of Ik las de akte, omdat mijn opa dertig jaar geleden stierf.
ik
I
lezen
to read
mijn
my
dertig
thirty
het jaar
the year
de opa
the grandpa
omdat
because (subordinating)
sterven
to die
geleden
ago
de akte
the deed
Questions & Answers about Ik las de akte, omdat mijn opa dertig jaar geleden stierf.
How does geleden translate to 'ago' in this sentence?
In Dutch, geleden acts as a postposition, meaning it is placed after the time period it refers to. Just like in English, you state the amount of time first (dertig jaar) and follow it with geleden (ago).
Why is it dertig jaar instead of the plural 'dertig jaren'?
In Dutch, units of time, measurement, and weight (such as jaar, uur, kilo) usually stay in their singular form when they come after a specific number. So, 'thirty years' translates as dertig jaar.
Why is the verb stierf pushed all the way to the end of the sentence?
This happens because of the word omdat (because). It introduces a subclause, which means the conjugated verb (stierf) must be moved to the very end of that clause, after dertig jaar geleden.
In English, 'read' can be present or past tense. How do we know which one it is here?
Unlike English, Dutch has different forms for the present and past tense of this verb. The present tense of 'to read' is ik lees, but this sentence uses the irregular simple past form ik las. The context of 'thirty years ago' also confirms it is in the past.
What is the infinitive form of stierf?
Stierf is the singular simple past tense of the irregular verb sterven (to die). To say 'has died' in the present perfect tense, you would use is gestorven.
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