Breakdown of Hoeveel gigabytes heb je verbruikt?
hebben
to have
hoeveel
how much / how many
je
you (unstressed form of jij)
de gigabyte
the gigabyte
Questions & Answers about Hoeveel gigabytes heb je verbruikt?
Why does this sentence use verbruikt instead of gebruikt?
Gebruiken means 'to use' (like using an app or a phone). Verbruiken means 'to consume' or 'to use up' a limited resource, like electricity, water, or your monthly data allowance. Since the data gets depleted, verbruikt is the natural choice here.
I thought Dutch units of measurement stay singular after a quantity, like in 'hoeveel kilo'. Why is it gigabytes with an '-s' here?
Traditional units of measurement (like kilo, meter, or euro) usually stay singular after a number or a word like hoeveel. However, with relatively modern English loanwords like gigabyte, Dutch speakers often add the plural -s in casual conversation. That said, the singular hoeveel gigabyte is also completely correct and widely used.
This lesson is about indirect questions. How would I turn this direct question into an indirect one?
To make this an indirect question (for example, 'I wonder how many gigabytes you have consumed'), the phrase hoeveel gigabytes acts as the connector for the subclause. This forces the verbs to the end of the sentence: Ik vraag me af hoeveel gigabytes je hebt verbruikt. (or ... je verbruikt hebt.)
In this direct question, why are the verbs heb and verbruikt separated?