Breakdown of We geven de kat twee pillen. Ze heeft namelijk hoge koorts.
de kat
the cat
hebben
to have
twee
two
geven
to give
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
hoog
high / tall
namelijk
you see / namely / because (adverb)
de pil
the pill
de koorts
the fever
Questions & Answers about We geven de kat twee pillen. Ze heeft namelijk hoge koorts.
Why is namelijk translated as "you see" instead of "namely"?
While namelijk can mean "namely," in this context it acts as an explanatory adverb. It tells the listener that this sentence is the reason for the previous one. In English, we often express this by adding "you see" at the end, or by starting with "because."
Could I use omdat (because) instead of namelijk to explain why the cat gets pills?
Yes, but the grammar changes. Omdat is a conjunction that introduces a subclause, which pushes the verb to the end: ...omdat ze hoge koorts heeft. Namelijk is an adverb, so it allows you to use a normal main clause and just sits right after the verb.
Can I start the second sentence with Namelijk?
No, you generally cannot start a sentence with namelijk. When used to give an explanation, it belongs in the middle of the sentence (the middle field), typically right after the finite verb and the subject pronoun.
Why does the adjective hoog lose an 'o' to become hoge?
Koorts (fever) is a de-word, so the adjective gets an -e ending. When you add the -e, the word splits into syllables as ho-ge. In Dutch spelling, a single vowel at the end of a syllable already makes a long sound, so the second 'o' from hoog is dropped.
Why is the cat referred to as ze (she)?
Kat is a de-word, which means you refer to it with hij (he) or zij/ze (she), not het (it). By default, kat is usually treated as feminine, especially since there is a specific, separate word for a male cat (kater).
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