Breakdown of De ambachtslieden maken meubels. Daarnaast verkopen ze kleren.
maken
to make
verkopen
to sell
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
het meubel
the piece of furniture
de kleren
the clothes
daarnaast
additionally
de ambachtsman
the artisan
Questions & Answers about De ambachtslieden maken meubels. Daarnaast verkopen ze kleren.
How does the plural ambachtslieden work, and what is its singular form?
The singular form is ambachtsman (craftsman or artisan). For many traditional professions ending in -man, the plural changes the suffix to -lieden or -lui instead of adding a standard plural ending. You could also say ambachtslui here, which is a slightly more informal alternative to ambachtslieden.
Why is the verb inverted to verkopen ze in the second sentence?
The second sentence starts with the adverb Daarnaast (additionally). Because the sentence starts with something other than the subject, Dutch requires inversion, meaning the verb (verkopen) must come right before the subject (ze).
What is the literal meaning of Daarnaast, and how is it formed?
Daarnaast is a pronominal adverb literally meaning "there next to." It is formed by combining daar (there) and naast (next to). While it can describe physical location, in this sentence it is used figuratively to mean "besides that" or "additionally" to connect the two activities.
Could you use kleding instead of kleren at the end of the sentence?
Yes, you could use either, but they function differently. Kleren is a plural countable noun referring to individual items of clothes, which is why it is used here. Kleding is a singular mass noun referring to clothing in general. Both sound perfectly natural in this context.
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