Questions & Answers about Ik steek de straat over.
Why is the word over at the end of the sentence?
The verb in this sentence is oversteken (to cross). This is a separable verb. In a standard present-tense sentence like this, the main part of the verb (steek) takes the second position, and the prefix (over) gets pushed all the way to the end.
Can I say "Ik steek over de straat" instead?
No, because over isn't acting as a normal preposition here (like "over the street"); it is a piece of the verb oversteken. The object you are crossing (de straat) needs to go between the main verb (steek) and the separated prefix (over).
What does steek mean on its own, without over?
On its own, the verb steken means "to stab," "to sting," or "to put/stick." Separable verbs often create entirely new meanings when you combine the base verb and the prefix.
The translation says "I am crossing", but shouldn't that require an extra word for "am"?
Dutch does not have a direct equivalent to the English "am -ing" form that you must use for things happening right now. The simple present tense in Dutch covers both habits and current actions, so ik steek over means both "I cross" and "I am crossing".
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