Word
Op de markt verkopen mensen niet alleen groenten, maar ook kleding.
Meaning
At the market, people not only sell vegetables but also clothing.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Op de markt verkopen mensen niet alleen groenten, maar ook kleding.
maar
but
ook
also
de groente
the vegetable
verkopen
to sell
de markt
the market
de mensen
the people
niet alleen
not only
de kleding
the clothing
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Questions & Answers about Op de markt verkopen mensen niet alleen groenten, maar ook kleding.
Why does the sentence begin with Op de markt instead of mensen?
In Dutch, when you place a time or location element (like Op de markt) at the front of a sentence, you typically invert the subject and the verb that follow. So, instead of Mensen verkopen, it becomes verkopen mensen. This is a normal way to structure a sentence for emphasis or clarity.
What is the function of niet alleen … maar ook in this sentence?
The phrase niet alleen … maar ook means not only … but also. It’s a common construction in Dutch to show that you are adding or expanding on something. Here, it emphasizes that groenten are not the only thing sold; kleding is sold as well.
Why do we say groenten and not just groente?
Groente can refer to vegetables in general (singular or uncountable sense), but groenten explicitly refers to multiple types or units of vegetables, making it plural. It’s similar to how English differentiates between vegetable and vegetables.
Why is it kleding instead of something like kledingstukken?
Kleding is a collective or uncountable noun in Dutch that means clothes or clothing. If you wanted to refer to individual items of clothing, you could say kledingstukken (literally pieces of clothing), but in everyday usage, kleding is sufficient and more common.
Is there a difference between saying Op de markt verkopen mensen… and Mensen verkopen op de markt…?
Both are grammatically correct. Op de markt verkopen mensen… places emphasis on the location first and then what people do there. Mensen verkopen op de markt… places the focus on mensen (people) as the subject. Dutch allows flexibility, but the subject and verb will invert if the sentence doesn’t start with the subject.
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