Breakdown of Wij schenken de tante het dure parfum.
wij
we
duur
expensive
de tante
the aunt
schenken
to gift / to give (to donate, to pour)
het parfum
the perfume
Questions & Answers about Wij schenken de tante het dure parfum.
Why doesn't this sentence use the preposition aan before de tante?
In Dutch, you often have a choice! Here, we used the strict word order method: if you leave out the preposition aan, the indirect object (de tante) must come directly before the definite direct object (het dure parfum).
If I wanted to use aan de tante, how would the word order change?
The sentence would become: Wij schenken het dure parfum aan de tante. When you use a preposition like aan, the direct object comes first, and the indirect object phrase moves after it.
Why is it dure with an -e if parfum is a het-word? I thought het-words didn't get the -e ending.
Adjectives before het-words actually do get the -e ending if they are preceded by a definite article like het, dit, or dat. They only drop the -e when preceded by an indefinite word like een or nothing at all (for example: een duur parfum).
What is the difference between schenken and geven here?
While geven is the general word for giving, schenken is more formal and specific. It means to give as a gift, to donate, or to pour (like pouring a drink). Since perfume is a present, schenken fits perfectly in this context.
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