Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Trekken of duwen?
Why are the verbs in their full infinitive forms (trekken and duwen) instead of a regular command form?
On public signs and short written instructions, Dutch uses the full infinitive rather than the regular imperative (command) form. This is called an impersonal imperative. You will see this all over the Netherlands and Belgium on doors, packaging, and warning signs.
If I wanted to tell a friend to pull or push a door, would I still use these forms?
No, if you are giving a direct command to someone, you use the standard imperative, which is just the stem of the verb: Trek! (Pull!) or Duw! (Push!). The infinitive forms trekken and duwen are used for general, impersonal signs.
I always mix up trekken and duwen. Is there a trick to remember which is which?
It is a very common mix-up! A good trick is to associate trekken with a 'tractor' or a 'tow truck' because they pull things. That leaves duwen for push.
I've seen of used to mean 'whether' or 'if'. How do I know it means 'or' here?
When of connects two options like verbs, nouns, or adjectives, it simply means 'or'. It only translates to 'whether' or 'if' when it introduces a new clause and pushes the verb to the end of the sentence.