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)
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?