Word
Al de kleding is voor de arme mensen.
Meaning
All the clothing is for the poor people.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Al de kleding is voor de arme mensen.
zijn
to be
de mens
the human / the person
voor
for (on behalf of)
arm
poor
Questions & Answers about Al de kleding is voor de arme mensen.
Why is it al de kleding instead of alle kleding?
Because we are talking about specific clothing ("all the clothing", perhaps in a particular donation bin). When referring to "all of the" specific items, we use al de (for de words). If we meant "all clothing" in a general, worldwide sense, we would use alle kleding.
Could I use al het for "all the" in this sentence?
No, because kleding is a de word (de kleding). The phrase "all the" translates to al de before de words, and al het before het words.
Wait, isn't "clothes" plural? Why do we use the singular verb is?
In Dutch, kleding translates closer to the English word "clothing" and is a singular, uncountable noun. Because it is singular, we use the singular verb is. If you wanted a plural word for "clothes," you could use kleren, which would take the plural verb zijn.
Why does the adjective arm (poor) get an -e added to make it arme mensen?