Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Hij is heel blij met zijn cadeau.
Is blij met a fixed combination?
Yes! In Dutch, the adjective blij (happy or glad) is almost always paired with the preposition met when you are talking about being pleased with a thing or a situation. This is a fixed combination you should memorize together: blij zijn met (to be happy with).
Could I use erg instead of heel in this sentence?
Absolutely. Hij is erg blij met zijn cadeau means exactly the same thing. Both heel and erg are commonly used to mean very before an adjective.
The word cadeau looks French. How do I make it plural?
You are right, it is borrowed from French! It is a het word (het cadeau). To make it plural, just add an s: cadeaus. You will also hear the diminutive form cadeautje (little gift) very often in spoken Dutch.
Why doesn't blij get an -e at the end here?
In Dutch, you only add an -e to an adjective when it comes directly before the noun it describes (for example: de blije man). Because blij comes after the verb is in this sentence, it stays in its basic dictionary form.