Ik heb een kat.

I have a cat.

Breakdown of Ik heb een kat.

• ik: I
• de kat: the cat
• hebben: to have

Questions & Answers about Ik heb een kat.

Why do we use heb and not hebt here?

In Dutch, heb is used for the first-person singular (with ik), while hebt is the form used with jij (second-person singular). Since the sentence starts with ik, we say ik heb.

What is the purpose of een in this sentence?

Een is the indefinite article in Dutch, similar to a or an in English. It indicates that we're talking about a non-specific cat, rather than a particular (specific) cat.

Could we omit een and just say Ik heb kat?

No, that would be incorrect in standard Dutch. You generally need an article (or a possessive pronoun) before a singular noun. In some colloquial speech, you might hear Ik heb kat, but it’s not considered correct or standard.

Why is heb placed directly after ik?

Dutch requires that the conjugated verb typically takes the second position in a main clause. So we place ik (the subject) first, and then heb directly follows, before completing the sentence with the object een kat.

Is there any difference in pronunciation for een when it means 'one' versus the indefinite article?

Yes, when een means 'one,' it’s often pronounced with a clear vowel: [eːn]. When used as the indefinite article, it’s more typically pronounced as a reduced vowel, similar to [ən]. However, in everyday speech this difference can be subtle.