Breakdown of Is de buurman z'n broer altijd stipt en geduldig?
zijn
to be
en
and
de broer
the brother
altijd
always
Questions & Answers about Is de buurman z'n broer altijd stipt en geduldig?
Why does the sentence use de buurman z'n broer instead of de broer van de buurman?
De buurman z'n broer (literally "the neighbor his brother") is a very common colloquial way to show possession in spoken Dutch. While de broer van de buurman is the standard, grammatically formal way to say "the neighbor's brother," you will hear this z'n structure constantly in everyday conversation.
If I want to answer this question using our current lesson's weliswaar ... maar structure to say he is punctual but not patient, how would I do that?
You would say: Hij is weliswaar altijd stipt, maar niet geduldig. (Admittedly he is always punctual, but not patient.) The adverb weliswaar is placed after the verb is, setting up the concession, and maar introduces the contrasting second half.
What is the difference between being stipt and being op tijd?
Op tijd simply means "on time" for a specific event or appointment. Stipt is a stronger character trait meaning "punctual," "precise," or "strict." Asking if someone is altijd stipt asks if they are generally a very punctual and exact person.
What if the neighbor was female? Would the sentence still use z'n?