De kat speelt in de tuin.

the cat

Breakdown of De kat speelt in de tuin.

• in: in
• spelen: to play
• de tuin: the garden

Questions & Answers about De kat speelt in de tuin.

Why do we say de kat instead of het kat?

In Dutch, nouns are classified as either de words or het words, and “kat” happens to be a de word. There is usually no simple rule to immediately tell which article goes with which noun, so learners often need to memorize the article with the noun.

What does speelt mean, and how is it formed?

Speelt is the third-person singular present-tense form of the verb spelen (to play). Dutch verbs typically take a different form for he/she/it (hij/zij/het), which often ends in “-t.” So:
• Ik speel (I play)
• Jij speelt (you play)
• Hij/zij/het speelt (he/she/it plays)

Why do we use in de tuin instead of op de tuin or bij de tuin?

In Dutch, in is used to indicate “inside” when talking about an enclosed space (like a garden that’s surrounded by a fence or boundary). Op typically means “on top of something” or “at a location from above,” while bij means “nearby” or “next to.” Since the cat is playing within the boundaries of the garden, we use in de tuin.

Is there a difference between spelen when used for people versus animals?

Not really. Spelen generally means “to play,” whether it’s used for children playing a game, an adult playing a sport, or an animal having fun. The context usually tells you how it’s being used.

Is there a preferred word order if I want to add more details to the sentence?

Yes, Dutch typically follows a Subject–Verb–Object structure. Additional information like adverbs or prepositional phrases can go after the verb or at the end, but there are precise rules for word order. For example:
• De kat speelt vrolijk in de tuin (The cat is happily playing in the garden).
• De kat speelt in de tuin met een bal (The cat is playing in the garden with a ball).