Breakdown of Alle kinderen in het weeshuis krijgen speelgoed.
het kind
the child
in
in
krijgen
to get (receive)
het speelgoed
the toys
alle
all (general plurals)
het weeshuis
the orphanage
Questions & Answers about Alle kinderen in het weeshuis krijgen speelgoed.
Why is it alle kinderen and not al de kinderen here?
Your current lesson shows that alle is for general plurals and al de is for specific ones. However, in everyday Dutch, alle is very often used directly before a plural noun even for specific groups, like the children in this orphanage. While al de kinderen (all of the children) is technically correct here for a specific group, alle kinderen is more common and perfectly natural to a Dutch speaker's ear.
Why doesn't speelgoed have a plural ending to match the English word 'toys'?
Because speelgoed (which literally translates to 'play goods') is an uncountable noun in Dutch. It works just like the words 'furniture' or 'luggage' in English. It refers to toys as a broad category, so you never add a plural -s or -en to it.
How do I know that weeshuis is a het word?
When you combine words to make a new compound noun, the gender is always determined by the very last part of the word. Since the word for house is het huis, the compound word for orphanage is automatically het weeshuis.
Could I use ontvangen instead of krijgen?
You could, since both mean 'to receive', but ontvangen is formal and often used for official things like letters or guests. Krijgen is the standard, everyday word for getting gifts or items, making it the best choice for kids getting toys.
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