Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about September is koud.
What does September is koud literally look like word for word?
Word for word:
- September = September
- is = is
- koud = cold
So the structure is very close to English: September is cold.
Why is is the same as in English?
Because Dutch and English are closely related languages, and some very common words still look alike.
Here, is is the third-person singular present form of zijn = to be.
A few forms of zijn are:
- ik ben = I am
- jij bent = you are
- hij/zij/het is = he/she/it is
So in September is koud, is matches the singular subject September.
Why is there no article before September?
Because September is the name of a month, and month names are treated like proper names.
So Dutch normally says:
- September is koud
- In september begint de herfst
Not:
- de September
- het September
That is the same basic idea as in English: we say September, not the September, in ordinary use.
Why is and not ?