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Het aantal trekvogels is enorm.

Het aantal trekvogels is enorm.
The number of migratory birds is enormous.
From Lesson 404:Indefinite numeric aggregates (-tallen)·Dutch

Breakdown of Het aantal trekvogels is enorm.

de trekvogel
the migratory bird
het aantal
the number / the quantity

Questions & Answers about Het aantal trekvogels is enorm.

Why is the singular verb is used here when trekvogels is plural?
The subject of the sentence is het aantal (the number), which is a singular noun, so it takes the singular verb is. If you were using a plural indefinite aggregate from this lesson, like tientallen (tens of) or honderden (hundreds of), the verb would be plural.
How would this sentence change if we used a -tallen word, like saying there are 'tens of' migratory birds?
You would say Er zijn tientallen trekvogels. Notice that with indefinite plural aggregates like tientallen, you drop het aantal, the verb changes to the plural zijn, and you typically introduce the sentence with er (there).
What exactly does the compound noun trekvogels consist of?
It combines the verb stem trek (from trekken, which means to migrate, travel, or pull) and vogels (birds). Together, it literally means migration birds.
Could I use hoeveelheid instead of aantal in this sentence?
No, because aantal is specifically used for countable nouns like birds, chairs, or people. You use hoeveelheid (amount or quantity) for uncountable things like water, time, or sand.

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