Breakdown of Mijn neef leent mijn computer.
de computer
the computer
lenen
to borrow / to lend
de neef
the nephew; the male cousin
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Questions & Answers about Mijn neef leent mijn computer.
Does neef mean 'cousin' or 'nephew'?
It means both! In Dutch, neef is used for a male cousin as well as a nephew. If you are talking about a female cousin or a niece, you would use the word nicht.
Does the verb lenen mean 'to borrow' or 'to lend'?
It actually means both! Dutch uses the same verb, lenen, whether you are the one borrowing an item or lending it out. Context usually makes it clear, but if you want to specifically emphasize that you are 'lending' something to someone, you can use the separable verb uitlenen.
How would I say 'my cousin's computer' using the possessive '-s' from this lesson?
You would say mijn neefs computer. Because neef refers to a family member (like vader or moeder), you can show possession by adding an s to the end of the word. Since neef ends in a consonant, it just gets a regular s without an apostrophe.
Why isn't there a translation for the word 'is' in this sentence?
English uses 'is borrowing' to show an action happening right now. Dutch rarely uses the verb 'to be' to construct sentences like this. Instead, the standard present tense leent covers both 'borrows' and 'is borrowing'.