Breakdown of De boerin hoeft haar land niet te verkopen.
niet
not
verkopen
to sell
haar
her
het land
the country
Questions & Answers about De boerin hoeft haar land niet te verkopen.
How is the word boerin formed from the male equivalent?
The base word is boer (farmer). To make it feminine, we add the suffix -in, creating boerin. This is a very common way to derive female professions and personal nouns in Dutch.
Why is there a te before verkopen?
The verb hoeven (to need) is almost always used in negative sentences with niet or geen, and it requires te before the infinitive verb at the end of the sentence. Together, hoeft ... niet te verkopen means does not have to sell.
Why do we use haar for land if land is a neuter noun (het land)?
The possessive pronoun is determined by the owner, not the object being owned. Because the owner is de boerin (a female person), we use haar (her), regardless of the neuter gender of the noun land.
Why does niet come right before te verkopen?
In Dutch, niet usually goes after a specific direct object like haar land, but before the verbs at the end of the clause. Here, it is placed exactly where it belongs: after the object and right before the infinitive block te verkopen.