Breakdown of De vis glipt altijd uit mijn handen.
altijd
always
de vis
the fish
mijn
my
uit
out of / from
de hand
the hand
glippen
to slip (away, out of hands)
Questions & Answers about De vis glipt altijd uit mijn handen.
Why use glipt here instead of glijdt or slipt?
Glippen specifically means to slip away, escape, or slip out of a grip (like a slippery fish). Glijden means to slide, and uitglijden is to slip and fall over. Slippen is mostly used for cars skidding.
Is uit part of a separable verb here?
No, the verb is just glippen. The words uit mijn handen form a standard prepositional phrase indicating direction. While the separable verb uitglippen exists (meaning to slip off a garment or let a secret slip), here it is simply the basic verb glippen combined with the preposition uit.
Why does altijd come before uit mijn handen?
In Dutch, adverbs of time like altijd typically come before prepositional phrases of place or direction like uit mijn handen. This follows the standard Time-Manner-Place rule, which dictates that time elements appear early in the middle part of the sentence.
Could I use this exact phrasing metaphorically, for example if a great opportunity slips out of my hands?
You would be understood, but Dutch uses a slightly different idiom for missed opportunities. Instead of slipping out of your hands, a chance slips through your fingers: De kans glipte door mijn vingers.
Learn De vis glipt altijd uit mijn handen 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