Word
De ambachtslieden gebruiken hout om stevige boten te bouwen.
Meaning
The artisans use wood to build sturdy boats.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of De ambachtslieden gebruiken hout om stevige boten te bouwen.
gebruiken
to use
de boot
the boat
bouwen
to build
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about De ambachtslieden gebruiken hout om stevige boten te bouwen.
What is the singular form of ambachtslieden, and why does the ending change completely?
The singular form is ambachtsman (artisan or craftsman). In Dutch, many traditional professions or demographics that end in -man form their plural by replacing that suffix with the collective ending -lieden (people) rather than just adding an 's' or 'en'.
Could I use ambachtslui instead of ambachtslieden in this sentence?
Yes, ambachtslui is perfectly correct and means the exact same thing. The suffix -lieden tends to sound a bit more formal or traditional, making it common in written Dutch, whereas -lui is more casual and frequently used in spoken language.
Why do we need the word om in om stevige boten te bouwen?
The construction om ... te followed by an infinitive verb (here, bouwen) is used to express a goal or purpose. It translates directly to "in order to" in English. The artisans use wood in order to build sturdy boats.
Why is the plural of boot spelled boten with only one o?