Learn Dutch: Je kunt de trechter gebruiken.

Je kunt de trechter gebruiken.

You can use the funnel.

Breakdown of Je kunt de trechter gebruiken.

you (unstressed form of jij)

de trechter

the funnel

Questions & Answers about Je kunt de trechter gebruiken.

If I change this sentence to the perfect tense ("You have used the funnel"), which auxiliary verb do I use?

You use hebben, making it: Je hebt de trechter gebruikt. The verb gebruiken (to use) is a transitive verb because it takes a direct object (de trechter). As this lesson covers, transitive actions always use hebben, whereas we reserve zijn for intransitive verbs that indicate a change of state.

Can I say Je kan instead of Je kunt?

Yes, both are perfectly correct. Je kunt is considered slightly more formal and is often preferred in writing, while je kan is extremely common in everyday speech. Just remember the spelling rule when asking a question: if you invert the word order, the -t drops for kunt (Kun je?) but stays the same for kan (Kan je?).

Why is gebruiken placed at the very end of the sentence?

This is the classic Dutch verb bracket (often called the sentence brace). The conjugated modal verb kunt takes the second position in the main clause, which forces the main infinitive verb (gebruiken) to the very end. The direct object (de trechter) is sandwiched between them.