Word
Mijn vriend spreekt Duits.
Meaning
My friend speaks German.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Mijn vriend spreekt Duits.
de vriend
the friend
spreken
to speak (a language) / to speak (give a statement / speak for someone)
Duits
German
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Questions & Answers about Mijn vriend spreekt Duits.
How would I ask 'Which friend speaks German?' using the words from this lesson?
You would ask: Welke vriend spreekt Duits? Because vriend is a de-word (de vriend), you must use welke. You only use welk with het-words (like welk boek).
Does mijn vriend mean 'my friend' or 'my boyfriend'?
It can mean both! Mijn vriend is very commonly used for 'my boyfriend', but it can also just mean a male friend. If you want to talk about a female friend or a girlfriend, you use mijn vriendin. Context usually makes it clear.
Why does the verb end in a 't' here (spreekt)?
The full verb is spreken (to speak). Because the subject is mijn vriend (which acts like 'he' or 'she'), we take the stem spreek and add a -t, giving us spreekt. If you were saying 'I speak', it would just be ik spreek without the 't'.
Are languages like Duits always capitalized in Dutch?
Yes! Just like in English, languages, countries, and nationalities always get a capital letter in Dutch. For example: Duits, Engels, and Nederlands.