Word
Hij schept twee derde van de ovenschotel op.
Meaning
He dishes up two-thirds of the casserole.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Hij schept twee derde van de ovenschotel op.
hij
he / it (referring to a 'de'-word)
twee
two
derde
third (3rd)
van
out of (in ratios, e.g. two out of five)
Questions & Answers about Hij schept twee derde van de ovenschotel op.
Why is it derde and not a plural form like in English "two-thirds"?
In Dutch, the denominator in a fraction usually remains singular in everyday speech, even when the numerator is greater than one. So, "two-thirds" translates simply to twee derde. You might occasionally see the plural twee derden in formal or strict mathematical contexts, but twee derde is the standard for everyday language.
Why is the word op at the end of the sentence?
It is the separable prefix of the verb opscheppen, which means "to dish up" or "to serve" food. Because this is a main clause, the finite verb (schept) takes the second position, and the prefix (op) moves to the very end.
Does opscheppen have any other common meanings?
Yes! While it literally means "to dish up" food here, it is very frequently used in everyday Dutch to mean "to brag" or "to show off". For example, you might hear: Hij loopt altijd op te scheppen (He is always bragging).
Do we always need van after a fraction when referring to a noun?
Yes, when you are describing a fraction of a specific noun, you use van, exactly like "of" in English. It links the fraction (twee derde) to the definite object (de ovenschotel).