Breakdown of Wij hebben grote hoeveelheden water nodig.
groot
big
wij
we
hebben
to have
het water
the water
nodig
needed
de hoeveelheid
the amount (quantity)
Questions & Answers about Wij hebben grote hoeveelheden water nodig.
What is the singular form of hoeveelheden, and why does it look so different?
The singular is hoeveelheid (amount/quantity). Abstract nouns ending in the suffix -heid have an irregular plural: the ending changes to -heden. This is a very common pattern you will also see in words like waarheid (truth) becoming waarheden.
Why isn't there a word for "of" in hoeveelheden water?
Unlike English, Dutch drops the word "of" when talking about quantities, measurements, or containers of a substance. You just put the two nouns next to each other. Another common example is een glas water (a glass of water).
Why is nodig at the very end of the sentence?
The Dutch expression for "to need" is nodig hebben. In a standard main clause, the conjugated verb (hebben) takes the second position, while the word nodig is pushed to the very end of the sentence, wrapping around the object (grote hoeveelheden water).
Why does groot get an extra -e to become grote here?
Adjectives that come right before a plural noun always get an -e ending in Dutch, regardless of whether the noun is a de-word or a het-word. Since hoeveelheden is plural, groot becomes grote. (Note that the double 'o' drops to a single 'o' to keep the vowel sound long).
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