Breakdown of Ik geef mijn collega de speciale chocolade.
ik
I
mijn
my
de collega
the colleague
geven
to give
Questions & Answers about Ik geef mijn collega de speciale chocolade.
Why is there no preposition like aan (to) before mijn collega?
In Dutch, you can drop the preposition aan (to) if you place the indirect object (mijn collega) immediately before the direct object (de speciale chocolade). Because the direct object is definite (using de), this word order is standard and sounds very natural.
How would I rewrite this sentence if I wanted to use aan?
If you use the preposition aan, the indirect object typically moves after the direct object. The sentence would become: Ik geef de speciale chocolade aan mijn collega. Both versions are correct and mean the exact same thing.
Why does speciaal change to speciale here?
Chocolade is a de-word. When an adjective comes before a noun with a definite article (de or het), it almost always gets an -e added to the end. The spelling also drops one a to keep the vowel sound long without doubling the consonant.
Is chocolade plural in this sentence?
No, it is singular. Even though it ends in -e (which is a common plural ending in Dutch), that is simply how the singular word for chocolate is spelled.