De mensen lopen niet alleen in het park, maar ook in de tuin.

The people not only walk in the park, but also in the garden.

Breakdown of De mensen lopen niet alleen in het park, maar ook in de tuin.

• maar: but
• ook: also
• in: in
• lopen: to walk
• het park: the park
• de tuin: the garden
• de mensen: the people
• niet alleen: not only

Questions & Answers about De mensen lopen niet alleen in het park, maar ook in de tuin.

Why do we use niet alleen ... maar ook in Dutch?

The phrase niet alleen ... maar ook translates literally to not only ... but also. It’s a common structure used to emphasize that there is more than one circumstance or location involved. Here, it shows that people aren’t just walking in one place (the park) but in another place as well (the garden).

Why is the word lopen used here instead of other verbs like wandelen or rennen?

Lopen is the general Dutch verb for to walk. It can be used in a wide range of walking contexts. Wandelen often implies a leisurely stroll, whereas rennen means to run. Here, we assume the people are simply walking in both locations, which makes lopen the most neutral and common choice.

Why is it in het park but in de tuin?

Het and de are Dutch articles. Whether a noun takes het or de depends on its grammatical gender or noun class, not something you can always deduce logically. The word park is a het-word (a neuter noun in Dutch), and tuin is a de-word (a common gender noun). Over time, you’ll get a feel for which article accompanies each noun.

Why do we say De mensen at the beginning instead of just Mensen?

Dutch requires an article before nouns in most contexts, especially when referring to specific people, things, or groups. Saying De mensen here specifies a particular group of people (those who are walking in the park and the garden). Using just Mensen would sound incomplete in Dutch without additional context or wording around it.