Questions & Answers about Dit boek kost vijftig cent.
How is the number vijftig (fifty) formed?
Just like in English where you add 'ty' to make tens, in Dutch you add the ending -tig to the base number. So, vijf (five) becomes vijftig (fifty).
How do I pronounce the -ig at the end of vijftig?
When a Dutch word ends in -ig, it is pronounced like 'uch' with a soft, breathy 'g' sound. You do not pronounce it with a hard 'g'. The whole word sounds roughly like 'VYF-tuch'.
Wait, why doesn't cent have a plural ending here? English says 'cents'.
In Dutch, units of measurement, weight, and money usually stay in the singular form when they come directly after a specific number. That is why it is vijftig cent instead of vijftig centen.
Why do we use dit for 'this' instead of deze?
The word for book is het boek (a 'het-word'). When you want to say 'this' with a 'het-word', you must use dit. You only use deze with 'de-words', for example deze appel (this apple).
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