Onze opa is een geduldige en spontane oppas.
Our grandfather is a patient and spontaneous babysitter.
Breakdown of Onze opa is een geduldige en spontane oppas.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
en
and
onze
our (de-words, plurals)
de opa
the grandpa
de oppas
the babysitter
geduldig
patient
spontaan
spontaneous
Questions & Answers about Onze opa is een geduldige en spontane oppas.
Why is it spontane with only one 'a', when the base adjective is spontaan?
When you add the -e ending to an adjective with a double vowel like the aa in spontaan, the syllable becomes open (spon-ta-ne). Dutch spelling rules require dropping one of the double vowels in an open syllable to maintain the long vowel sound.
Why do geduldige and spontane get an -e ending here after een?
You only drop the adjective's -e ending after een if the noun is a het-word. Because oppas is a de-word (de oppas), any adjectives describing it keep the -e ending.
Is oppas used for both male and female babysitters?
Yes, de oppas is a gender-neutral noun. It literally comes from the verb oppassen (to look after) and can refer to anyone babysitting, whether it is a teenage girl or, as in this sentence, a grandfather.
Why do we use Onze instead of Ons for 'Our' at the start of the sentence?
The possessive pronoun must match the gender of the noun it modifies. Because opa is a de-word (de opa), we use onze. You would only use ons for a het-word (like ons kleinkind).
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