De tuin is erg mooi.

to be

Breakdown of De tuin is erg mooi.

• mooi: beautiful
• de tuin: the garden
• erg: very

Questions & Answers about De tuin is erg mooi.

Why is De tuin used instead of Het tuin?

Tuin is a de-word in Dutch, which means we use de rather than het. Most Dutch words ending with -in (like tuin, pain, etc.) are generally de-words, so the correct phrase is de tuin.

What does the word erg signify in this sentence?

Erg in Dutch is an intensifier that means something like very or really. Here, it emphasizes how mooi (beautiful) the garden is.

Can I replace erg with another word like heel or zeer?

Yes, you can say De tuin is heel mooi or De tuin is zeer mooi for similar meanings. Heel, zeer, and erg are all used to intensify an adjective, with slight differences in nuance, but they’re essentially interchangeable in casual contexts.

How do I pronounce tuin and mooi correctly?

• Tuin: The ui sound is a Dutch diphthong that doesn’t exist in English. It’s pronounced by starting with the mouth slightly open (like in uh) and then moving toward a rounded oo sound.
• Mooi: The oo in mooi is a long vowel, roughly like the English “mow” but held longer, and the final i is very short and light.

Why do we use is instead of a different verb form?

Is corresponds to the third-person singular present tense of the verb zijn (to be) in Dutch, just like is in English functions as the third-person singular form of to be. Since de tuin is singular and we’re using a present tense statement, is is the correct form.