Breakdown of Hoe adresseren we een brief aan de stad Utrecht?
een
a/an
de stad
the city
hoe
how
de brief
the letter
Questions & Answers about Hoe adresseren we een brief aan de stad Utrecht?
Why is it de stad Utrecht and not de stad van Utrecht?
In Dutch, when combining a geographical category like a city, country, or province with its specific name, we put them right next to each other without translating the English word of. So the city of Utrecht simply becomes de stad Utrecht.
Why do we use the preposition aan here instead of naar for sending a letter?
While you send or mail a letter to a physical destination using naar, the verb adresseren (to address) is fixed with the preposition aan. You address a letter to an entity or person, which in Dutch is always een brief adresseren aan.
Is adresseren a regular verb, and why does it have a double s?
Yes, it is regular. It comes from the noun adres, which is spelled with one d and one s. When it becomes a verb, we add -eren. To keep the preceding e sound short, we have to double the consonant, resulting in the double s of adresseren.
Why does the subject we come after the verb adresseren?
Because this is an open question starting with the question word Hoe. In Dutch, the conjugated verb must stay in the second position. Since Hoe takes up the first spot, the subject we has to flip behind the verb adresseren.