Breakdown of Zij geven een blanco mok zonder opdruk weg.
een
a/an
zij
they
zonder
without
weggeven
to give away
de mok
the mug
blanco
blank
de opdruk
the imprint
Questions & Answers about Zij geven een blanco mok zonder opdruk weg.
Why doesn't blanco get an -e at the end, since it's modifying a de word (de mok) after een?
This is the core rule for adjectives ending in a vowel like -a, -o, or -i, as well as many loanwords. Words like blanco, gratis, and roze are invariable, meaning they never get an -e added to them, regardless of the noun's gender or the article used. So it correctly remains een blanco mok.
Could I use leeg instead of blanco here to mean "blank"?
No, because they mean completely different things. Leeg means physically empty, so een lege mok is a mug with nothing inside it, like coffee. Blanco specifically means "blank" in the sense of having no text, design, or print on its surface.
Why is there no article before opdruk when the English translation says "without an imprint"?
In Dutch, the preposition zonder (without) is frequently followed directly by a singular noun without the indefinite article een, especially when referring to something in a general or abstract sense. While zonder een opdruk wouldn't be strictly wrong, omitting the article sounds much more idiomatic.
What is weg doing at the end of the sentence?
It is the separable prefix of the verb weggeven (to give away). As you may remember, in a standard main clause, the separable prefix splits off and moves to the end of the clause, while the conjugated part (geven) stays in the second position.
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