Breakdown of De Verenigde Staten grenzen aan twee oceanen.
twee
two
de Verenigde Staten
the United States
grenzen aan
to border on
de oceaan
the ocean
Questions & Answers about De Verenigde Staten grenzen aan twee oceanen.
Why is the verb grenzen plural if the United States is a single country?
In English, 'the United States' is usually treated as a single entity and takes a singular verb ('borders'). However, in Dutch, De Verenigde Staten is grammatically plural. Because the subject is plural in form, the verb must also be plural: grenzen.
Do we always have to use the article De with Verenigde Staten?
Yes. Geographical names that are plural in form require the definite article de. You cannot drop it. This rule also applies to other plural geographical proper nouns, like island groups (de Filipijnen) or mountain ranges (de Alpen).
Why do we use the preposition aan after grenzen?
The verb grenzen (to border) pairs with the fixed preposition aan to mean 'to border on' or 'to share a border with'. You will use this combination whenever discussing geographical borders, for example: Nederland grenst aan Duitsland.
Why does oceanen only have one a when the singular is oceaan?
This is a great reminder of Dutch spelling rules for long vowels. In the singular oceaan, the double aa is needed to keep the vowel long because the syllable ends in a consonant. When you add -en to make it plural, the syllable splits (o-cea-nen), leaving the a at the end of an 'open' syllable where it naturally sounds long without needing to be doubled.
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