Breakdown of Na de overtreding krijg je de boete niet verlaagd.
niet
not
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
krijgen
to get (receive)
na
after (preposition)
de boete
the fine
de overtreding
the violation
verlagen
to reduce
Questions & Answers about Na de overtreding krijg je de boete niet verlaagd.
How does the grammar of 'krijg ... verlaagd' work in this sentence?
This is the benefactive passive using krijgen (to get) plus a past participle. It works very similarly to English: "you get the fine lowered." Krijg is the conjugated verb in the second position, and the past participle verlaagd is pushed to the end of the clause. It shows that an action is (or isn't) performed for or to the subject by someone else.
Why is the word order 'krijg je' instead of 'je krijgt'?
Because the sentence starts with the prepositional phrase Na de overtreding (After the violation). In Dutch, whenever you start a main clause with anything other than the subject, the verb and subject swap places. This rule is called inversion.
Why is 'niet' placed right before 'verlaagd', rather than after the verb 'krijg'?
In Dutch, niet generally comes after a specific direct object, which in this case is de boete (the fine). It is placed right before the past participle (verlaagd) because it is specifically negating the result of that action—you get the fine, but you do not get it lowered.
Why does the past participle 'verlaagd' end in a '-d' instead of a '-t'?
To find the correct ending for a past participle, you look at the verb stem. The infinitive is verlagen (to lower). If you remove the -en, the stem ends in -g. Because the letter g is not one of the voiceless consonants in the memory rule 't kofschip (or soft ketchup), the past participle gets a -d.
Learn Na de overtreding krijg je de boete niet verlaagd and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free