Breakdown of De lengte, de breedte en de hoogte bepalen de grootte.
en
and
bepalen
to determine / to decide (to establish, fix)
de lengte
the length
de breedte
the width
de hoogte
the height
de grootte
the size (dimensions, magnitude)
Questions & Answers about De lengte, de breedte en de hoogte bepalen de grootte.
Why is it lengte with an 'e' instead of 'langte' from the adjective lang?
Unlike most adjectives that simply add the -te suffix (like hoog becoming hoogte), lang undergoes a vowel change to become lengte. This is a historical exception in Dutch, so you just have to memorize it.
Why does grootte have a double 't', while hoogte only has one?
The adjective groot already ends in a t. When you add the -te suffix to turn it into a noun, you keep both letters (groot + -te = grootte). This is important because it visually distinguishes the noun grootte (size) from the inflected adjective grote (large), even though they sound identical in speech.
How do you pronounce the dt in breedte?
It is pronounced exactly like a single 't' sound. The spelling preserves the d from the root adjective breed (wide) and adds the t from the -te suffix, but you do not pronounce the 'd' separately.
Notice how the sentence uses de for every dimension. Are all -te nouns de words?
Yes! Whenever you derive a noun from an adjective using the -te suffix to describe a physical property, concept, or dimension, it will always take the definite article de.
Learn De lengte, de breedte en de hoogte bepalen de grootte and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free