Breakdown of Verschillende mensen denken dat de auteur een vrouw is.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
de vrouw
the woman
de mens
the human / the person
denken
to think
dat
that (conjunction)
verschillende
various, several
de auteur
the author
Questions & Answers about Verschillende mensen denken dat de auteur een vrouw is.
Why do we use denken instead of vinden in this sentence?
In Dutch, vinden is used for subjective opinions (how you feel about something, like finding a book interesting). Denken is used when expressing a belief about a fact. Because whether the author is a woman is a matter of objective fact, not a personal opinion, we must use denken.
Doesn't verschillende usually mean "different"?
It can mean "different" (as in "not the same"), but when it is used directly before a plural noun without an article, like mensen here, it translates to "various" or "several".
Why is the verb is at the very end of the sentence?
The word dat (that) introduces a subordinate clause (dat de auteur een vrouw is). In Dutch, a subordinate clause always pushes its conjugated verb to the very end.
Is there a specific feminine word for "author"?
Yes, you could use autrice or schrijfster. However, auteur is commonly used as a general, gender-neutral profession title. This makes perfect sense here, since the people in the sentence are actively guessing the writer's gender!
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