Questions & Answers about Hij twijfelt aan zijn eigen doel.
Why is there an aan in this sentence? The English translation just says 'doubts his own goal.'
In Dutch, the verb twijfelen (to doubt) uses a fixed preposition to connect it to an object. Instead of doubting something directly, in Dutch you twijfelen aan (literally 'doubt on') something.
Why doesn't the adjective eigen get an -e added to the end here?
Normally, an adjective following a possessive pronoun like zijn gets an -e ending (for example, zijn grote doel). However, adjectives that already end in -en—like eigen (own), open (open), or material adjectives like houten (wooden)—are exceptions and never take the extra -e.
Is doel used for personal goals or just in sports?
It is used for both! Doel can mean a physical goal or net in sports, but it is just as commonly used to talk about a personal objective, target, or purpose in life.
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