Breakdown of Ik weet de hoofdstad van dat land, omdat ik de stad goed ken.
ik
I
de stad
the city
kennen
to know
dat
that (het-words)
Questions & Answers about Ik weet de hoofdstad van dat land, omdat ik de stad goed ken.
Why does this sentence use both weet and ken to translate the English word know?
This highlights the exact difference between weten and kennen. You use weten (here as weet) for facts and information, like knowing the answer to what the capital is. You use kennen (here as ken) for people, places, or things you are familiar with through personal experience, like actually knowing your way around the city.
Why is the verb ken at the very end of the sentence?
The word omdat (because) introduces a dependent clause. In Dutch, a dependent clause pushes the conjugated verb to the very end. That is why ken comes after goed.
Why do we say dat land instead of die land?
The word land is a neuter noun, meaning it takes the definite article het. When pointing out a specific het word, you must use dat for that. If it were a de word, you would use die.
How does the word hoofdstad literally translate?
It is a compound word made of hoofd (head or main) and stad (city). In Dutch, the main city of a country is its capital.