Breakdown of De kinderen vinden de schepen en de smeden erg interessant.
en
and
het kind
the child
erg
very / really
vinden
to think / consider (hold an opinion)
interessant
interesting
het schip
the ship
de smid
the blacksmith
Questions & Answers about De kinderen vinden de schepen en de smeden erg interessant.
Why is the plural of schip spelled as schepen rather than just adding -en?
The singular is het schip. This is one of a special group of Dutch nouns where the vowel completely changes in the plural. Instead of keeping the short "i" sound, it shifts to a long "e" sound, giving us de schepen. It's an irregular plural that you simply have to memorize.
What is the singular of smeden, and does it follow the exact same pattern as schepen?
The singular is de smid (the blacksmith). Yes! Just like schip, it goes through an irregular vowel change from a short "i" in the singular to a long "e" in the plural, making it de smeden.
I see kinderen has an extra syllable. Is that a regular plural pattern?
No, het kind (the child) is one of a small, irregular group of Dutch words that take an -eren suffix in the plural instead of just -en or -s. Other common examples you might remember from earlier lessons are het ei / de eieren (the eggs) and het lied / de liederen (the songs).
Can I use heel instead of erg in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely. Both erg and heel mean "very" when placed before an adjective like interessant, and they are completely interchangeable here.
Learn De kinderen vinden de schepen en de smeden erg interessant 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