Breakdown of De kleine hond slaapt altijd in de hondenmand.
klein
small
de hond
the dog
in
in
altijd
always
slapen
to sleep
de hondenmand
the dog bed
Questions & Answers about De kleine hond slaapt altijd in de hondenmand.
Why is it hondenmand with an -en- in the middle, instead of just hondmand?
Hondenmand is a compound word made of hond (dog) and mand (basket). We add the linking -en- (tussen-n) because the first word (hond) only has one plural form and it ends in -en (honden), not -s.
Why do we add an -e to klein making it kleine?
Because hond is a de word. When an adjective comes before a de word, it always gets an -e ending. You only leave the -e off when describing a het word with een or no article.
The translation says dog bed, but doesn't mand mean basket?
Yes! In Dutch, a dog bed is traditionally called a hondenmand (literally dog basket), regardless of whether it is an actual wicker basket or a modern soft cushion.
Could I put altijd at the beginning of the sentence to emphasize it?
Yes, you could say Altijd slaapt de kleine hond in de hondenmand. If you do this, remember that the verb (slaapt) must stay in the second position, so it switches places with the subject (de kleine hond).
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