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Breakdown of Ik wil die film met mijn familie kijken.
ik
I
die
that
met
with
willen
to want
mijn
my
de familie
the family
kijken
to watch
de film
the movie
Questions & Answers about Ik wil die film met mijn familie kijken.
Why is it die film instead of dat film?
In Dutch, nouns have a gender (common or neuter), and film is a common gender noun (it uses de). For common gender nouns, the demonstrative pronoun is die (for singular) or deze, not dat. Dat is typically used with neuter nouns (those that take het).
Why does kijken appear at the end of the sentence?
When you have a modal-like verb such as wil (from willen = to want) in Dutch, the second verb (in this case kijken) usually goes to the end of the clause. The structure is Subject + willen + object + other elements + infinitive.
Could we say Ik wil met mijn familie die film kijken instead?
Yes, that’s grammatically acceptable. Dutch word order can be somewhat flexible in main clauses. You could place met mijn familie either before or after die film, as long as the second verb (kijken) remains at the end.
Why do we use mijn familie instead of mijn gezin?
In Dutch, familie generally refers to your broader family (including extended relatives or anyone in your family circle), whereas gezin usually refers to your immediate household (parents and their children). In everyday usage, familie is often used more broadly, so it can be the natural choice.
Do Dutch speakers ever say naar when talking about watching a film, like in English ("watching to a film")?
In general, no. Dutch typically uses kijken without naar when the direct object of watching is included (like die film). If you say kijken naar, you’re usually talking about watching something more abstract or in a more specific context (for example, naar de televisie kijken). But for a direct reference to a movie, die film kijken is the standard expression.
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