Breakdown of Zonder de definitie te kennen, kun je het probleem niet oplossen.
niet
not
het probleem
the problem
kennen
to know
kunnen
can
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
te
to (infinitive marker)
oplossen
to solve / to resolve
zonder
without
de definitie
the definition
Questions & Answers about Zonder de definitie te kennen, kun je het probleem niet oplossen.
How can I predict that definitie takes de?
Nouns ending in the suffix -ie (like de definitie, de politie, and de situatie) are almost always de words. Recognizing this ending is a great shortcut for remembering noun gender!
Is there a similar trick for knowing that probleem is a het word?
Yes! Abstract loanwords (words borrowed from other languages) that end in -eem are generally het words. Another very common example you will see is het systeem.
Why does the Dutch sentence say te kennen instead of a word meaning "knowing"?
When English uses "without" plus an "-ing" word (like "without knowing"), Dutch uses the structure zonder + te + the full infinitive verb. If there is an object (like de definitie), it is placed between zonder and te kennen.
Why are the subject and verb flipped to kun je here?
This happens because of inversion. The entire opening clause (Zonder de definitie te kennen) takes up the first position in the main sentence. The conjugated verb (kun) must always come second, so it swaps places with the subject (je).
Why is the verb oplossen pushed to the very end?
This sentence uses the modal verb kunnen (conjugated here as kun). In Dutch, a conjugated modal verb takes the normal verb position, but it sends the main action verb (oplossen) all the way to the end of the clause in its full infinitive form.
Learn Zonder de definitie te kennen, kun je het probleem niet oplossen 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