Breakdown of Hij heeft de plot in zijn samenvatting uitgelegd.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
hebben
to have
in
in
zijn
his
uitleggen
to explain
de samenvatting
the summary
de plot
the plot
Questions & Answers about Hij heeft de plot in zijn samenvatting uitgelegd.
Is plot used exactly like it is in English?
Yes, plot is an English loanword. In Dutch, it is a de-word (de plot) and means the exact same thing. You pronounce it much like in English, but with a typical Dutch short 'o' sound.
Why is the prefix ge- in the middle of uitgelegd?
Because it comes from the separable verb uitleggen (to explain). In the past participle of a separable verb, the ge- is placed between the separable part (uit) and the verb stem (legd).
How is the noun samenvatting formed?
It is built from the separable verb samenvatten (to summarize), which literally translates as 'to catch together'. The suffix -ing turns the verb into a noun, similar to '-ing' or '-tion' in English.
Is it possible to say 'Hij heeft in zijn samenvatting de plot uitgelegd'?
Yes, you can safely swap the direct object (de plot) and the prepositional phrase (in zijn samenvatting). The order shown in this sentence puts slightly more focus on where he explained it, while the alternative focuses more on what was explained.
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