Questions & Answers about Lippenstiften heb ik er drie rode.
Why is Lippenstiften at the start of the sentence, separated from drie rode?
This is an example of split topicalization. Normally, you would say Ik heb drie rode lippenstiften. However, to put heavy emphasis on the topic (lipsticks), we can move just the bare noun (Lippenstiften) to the front of the sentence and leave the quantity and adjective (drie rode) behind in the middle of the clause.
What is the function of er in this sentence?
This is the quantitative er. In Dutch, when you state a quantity (like drie) but the noun being counted isn't right next to it—either because it was omitted or, as in this sentence, moved to the front—you must include er. It acts a bit like saying 'of them' in English.
Why does rode end in an -e if there is no noun right after it?
The adjective still grammatically belongs to Lippenstiften, even though the noun has been moved to the front of the sentence. Because lippenstiften is plural, the adjective requires the standard -e ending.
Why is the word order heb ik instead of ik heb?
Because the fronted noun Lippenstiften takes the first position in the sentence. Dutch uses a verb-second (V2) word order in main clauses, so the verb (heb) must come second, which pushes the subject (ik) to the third position.