Breakdown of Anderen lopen blindelings met de massa mee.
met
with
ander
other
de massa
the masses
meelopen
to follow the crowd
blindelings
blindly
Questions & Answers about Anderen lopen blindelings met de massa mee.
Why is it Anderen with an '-n' and not just Andere?
Because Anderen is used here as an independent pronoun referring to people. In Dutch, when words like andere, sommige, or vele stand alone (without a noun right behind them) and refer specifically to human beings, they get an -n at the end. If the noun were explicitly written out, the -n would drop, and it would just be Andere mensen.
What is the infinitive of the verb used here, and why is mee at the end?
The infinitive is meelopen, a separable verb meaning to walk along or to follow. Because this is a main clause in the present tense, the verb splits: the conjugated part (lopen) takes the second position, and the separable prefix (mee) moves to the very end of the clause.
How is the adverb blindelings formed?
It is formed by adding the adverbial suffix -lings to the word blind. This suffix turns words into adverbs of manner, meaning blindly or without thinking. It is an older, non-productive suffix, so while you will see it in established words like blindelings and plotseling (suddenly), you cannot use it to create new adverbs yourself.
Does met de massa meelopen have a negative connotation?
Yes, just like in English. While meelopen can literally mean to walk alongside someone, using it with de massa (the masses or the crowd) implies conforming unthinkingly. In fact, the noun meeloper is a common derogatory term for a follower or someone who just goes along with the crowd without forming their own opinion.
Learn Anderen lopen blindelings met de massa mee and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free