Breakdown of Ik zie geen enkel huis in het verlaten dorp.
ik
I
het huis
the house
zien
to see
in
in
het dorp
the village
geen enkel
not a single / no ... whatsoever (also geen enkele)
verlaten
to leave / to abandon (a place or person)
Questions & Answers about Ik zie geen enkel huis in het verlaten dorp.
Why is it geen enkel huis instead of geen enkele huis?
Does geen enkel always have to be followed by a singular noun, like huis here?
Yes. Just like the English translation "not a single", the phrase geen enkel(e) emphasizes absolute zero and always takes a singular noun. You cannot say geen enkel huizen.
Why doesn't the adjective verlaten get an -e at the end, since it comes after het?
Normally, adjectives following het get an -e ending (like het grote dorp). But verlaten is a past participle ending in -en that is being used as an adjective. Adjectives that already end in -en never get an extra -e.
I've seen verlaten used as a verb. Is it a verb or an adjective in this sentence?
It is functioning as an adjective here, meaning "abandoned". It comes directly from the past participle of the verb verlaten (to leave or abandon). Using past participles as adjectives is very common in Dutch, just like in English.
Learn Ik zie geen enkel huis in het verlaten dorp 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