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Breakdown of Ik zal de sleutel van onze schuur niet aanraken, omdat hij erg vies is.
ik
I
zijn
to be
niet
not
onze
our
zullen
will
de sleutel
the key
omdat
because
de schuur
the shed
aanraken
to touch
erg
very
vies
dirty
Questions & Answers about Ik zal de sleutel van onze schuur niet aanraken, omdat hij erg vies is.
Why is zal used instead of ga to talk about the future?
In Dutch, you can use zal or ga plus an infinitive to express the future. The verb zal (from zullen) is a bit more formal or sometimes expresses a stronger intention or certainty. The verb ga (from gaan) for the future is more colloquial or immediate. Both are correct, but zal is slightly more traditional or official.
Why do we say Ik zal de sleutel van onze schuur niet aanraken and not Ik zal niet aanraken de sleutel van onze schuur?
In Dutch, the object (in this case de sleutel van onze schuur) typically comes directly after the verb in the main clause, and niet usually goes after that object if you’re negating the action. So the normal word order is subject (Ik), helping verb (zal), direct object (de sleutel van onze schuur), negation (niet), and then the main verb (aanraken).
Why is hij used to refer to the key, which is an object?
In Dutch, nouns have grammatical genders. Sleutel is a masculine noun, so it’s common to refer to it with hij or hem instead of het, especially if it’s clear from context that you’re talking about that particular key. Some speakers might still use het, but traditionally hij is valid because of the masculine gender of sleutel.
How does the word erg work in omdat hij erg vies is?
Erg means very or really in this context. It intensifies the adjective vies (dirty). You can think of erg as more or less the same as heel or zeer when emphasizing the adjective: hij is erg vies = it is very dirty.
Why is it vies and not vieze?
Vies is the base form of the adjective meaning "dirty." When the adjective comes directly after the verb is, you typically use the base form (the predicative form). If you place the adjective before the noun, like een vieze sleutel ("a dirty key"), it gets an -e ending.
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