Questions & Answers about Ik heb tenminste één goed argument gevonden.
In this lesson about adverbs, we learned about tenminste. Shouldn't it be written as two words (ten minste) when counting?
Technically, yes! When expressing a strict mathematical minimum (like 'at least one'), the official spelling is two words: ten minste (or you can use the word minstens). Written as one word, tenminste is an adverb meaning 'at any rate' or 'anyway' to add a reassuring tone, as in 'Well, at least I found one...'. However, native speakers constantly mix up these spellings, so you will see tenminste één written together all the time in everyday Dutch.
Why does één have accent marks here?
The accent marks show that it is the number 'one' rather than the indefinite article 'a' or 'an' (which is written een without accents). It tells you to stress the word in speech. Here, it emphasizes that you found at least one argument, rather than just an argument.
Why is it goed argument instead of goede argument?
Argument is a neuter noun (a het-word). The rule for adjectives before a het-word is that they do not get an -e ending if they are preceded by an indefinite word like een, geen, or a number like één. Therefore, it remains goed.
Why is gevonden placed at the very end of the sentence instead of right after heb?