Breakdown of Ik draag een katoenen trui in de zomer.
de trui
the sweater
dragen
to wear
de zomer
the summer
katoenen
cotton (made of)
Questions & Answers about Ik draag een katoenen trui in de zomer.
Why does katoenen end in -en instead of the usual -e for adjectives?
Katoen is a noun meaning cotton. In Dutch, when an adjective tells you what material something is made of, it almost always ends in -en. This is a fixed ending, meaning it stays -en regardless of whether the noun is a de-word or a het-word.
Can draag also mean "to carry"?
Yes! The verb dragen translates to both "to wear" (clothing, glasses) and "to carry" (a box, a bag). Because it is paired with een trui (a sweater), it clearly means "wear" in this sentence.
Could I start the sentence with in de zomer?
You definitely can, but remember that Dutch uses a strict verb-second rule. If you put the time first for emphasis, the verb draag must come exactly second, before the subject ik. The sentence would become: In de zomer draag ik een katoenen trui.
Do you always use de with seasons in Dutch?
Yes, while English speakers might simply say "in summer," Dutch requires the article de for all four seasons: in de lente, in de zomer, in de herfst, and in de winter.