Questions & Answers about Oogst jij vaak honing?
Why does oogst end in a 't' here? I thought we drop the 't' when jij comes after the verb.
You are absolutely right that we normally drop the extra -t when jij or je comes immediately after the verb (like in werk jij or loop je). However, the infinitive of this verb is oogsten (to harvest), which means its core stem is oogst. Because that 't' is already part of the stem itself, we don't remove it!
How would I apply this lesson's grammar to say 'Have you been harvesting honey for a long time?'
To express that an action started in the past and is still ongoing, Dutch uses the present tense combined with a time indicator like al (already). You would say: Oogst jij al lang honing? (literally: 'Harvest you already long honey?'). The English present perfect continuous translates to a simple present in Dutch here.
Could I use je instead of jij in this sentence?
Yes, you certainly can. We use jij here to put a little extra emphasis on the person being asked—'Do you often harvest honey?' (perhaps compared to the other beekeepers). If you just want to ask a casual question without emphasizing the 'you', Oogst je vaak honing? is perfectly fine.
Why isn't there an article before honing?
Honing (honey) is an uncountable noun in Dutch, just like it is in English. When you are talking about harvesting honey in a general, habitual sense, you leave out the article entirely.
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