Breakdown of Zij hebben wat schoenen onderin de kast liggen.
zij
they
hebben
to have
de schoen
the shoe
de kast
the cabinet / the closet
liggen
to lie
wat
something / some (a little)
onderin
at the bottom
Questions & Answers about Zij hebben wat schoenen onderin de kast liggen.
Why do the shoes use liggen (to lie) instead of staan (to stand)?
Shoes can actually use either! If they are neatly paired and arranged in a row, you would normally use staan. Because this sentence uses liggen, it implies the shoes are tossed, scattered, or stored informally in a pile at the bottom of the closet.
How does the grammar of this possessive locative structure work?
It uses the conjugated verb hebben (to have), followed by the direct object (wat schoenen), the location (onderin de kast), and finally the posture verb in its bare infinitive form (liggen) at the end of the clause. This is the standard Dutch way to describe where someone keeps or stores an item.
Why do we use onderin instead of just onder?
The word onderin specifically means inside, but at the very bottom (like the bottom shelf of a closet or a box). If you just said onder de kast, it would mean the shoes are physically on the floor underneath the entire closet.
Does wat in this sentence mean 'what'?
No. When placed before a plural noun like schoenen (or an uncountable noun), wat means 'some' or 'a few'. It acts as a casual, everyday alternative to words like enkele or een paar.
Learn Zij hebben wat schoenen onderin de kast liggen 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