Breakdown of De arts voelt aan de maag. De hond heeft namelijk koorts en pijn.
de arts
the doctor
en
and
de hond
the dog
hebben
to have
aan
on / at (attached to, edge)
de pijn
the pain
voelen
to feel (something) / to seem/feel (a certain way)
namelijk
you see / namely / because (adverb)
de maag
stomach
de koorts
fever
Questions & Answers about De arts voelt aan de maag. De hond heeft namelijk koorts en pijn.
Why is namelijk used here instead of just saying want (because)?
Namelijk (which translates roughly to "namely" or "you see") is an adverb used to give a reason or explanation for the previous statement. While you could combine the two thoughts with want (because), starting a new sentence with namelijk is a very common and natural way to keep your sentences short and make the language flow smoothly in Dutch.
Where exactly does namelijk go in the sentence?
It is placed in the "middle field" of the clause. In a standard main clause like this one, it sits right after the conjugated verb (here, heeft). Unlike in English where "you see" often goes at the very end of the sentence, you cannot start or end a standard Dutch sentence with namelijk.
Why does the first sentence say voelt aan de maag instead of just voelt de maag?
When you use the verb voelen (to feel) to mean physically touching or examining something with your hands, you usually add the preposition aan. If you just said voelt de maag, it would sound more like the doctor is internally experiencing their own stomach, rather than examining the dog's stomach from the outside.
Is there a difference between an arts and a dokter?
They both mean "doctor" and are mostly interchangeable. Arts is the formal, professional word for a medical physician, while dokter is the everyday term. Because this doctor is examining a dog, they are specifically a dierenarts (veterinarian, literally "animal doctor").
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