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Questions & Answers about Mijn telefoon is nieuw.
What does mijn mean, and does it change form based on the noun?
Mijn means “my” in Dutch. It remains the same regardless of the noun’s gender or number, so it does not change form.
Why is the adjective nieuw not inflected in this sentence?
In this sentence, nieuw is used as a predicate adjective after the linking verb is. In Dutch, adjectives used in a predicative position (after the verb) are not inflected. Only when an adjective is used attributively (directly before a noun) might it receive an ending.
What role does the verb is play in "Mijn telefoon is nieuw."?
The word is functions as a linking verb that connects the subject (Mijn telefoon) with the predicate adjective (nieuw). It expresses a state or quality of the subject, similar to how “is” works in English.
How is the word order in this Dutch sentence similar to English?
The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Predicate structure. Mijn telefoon is the subject, is is the verb, and nieuw is the predicate adjective. This order mirrors the English sentence “My phone is new.”
Why isn’t there a definite article before telefoon even though many Dutch nouns come with one?
When using a possessive pronoun like mijn, it already specifies ownership and definiteness. Therefore, a separate definite article (like de or het) is not necessary in this context.
How would you express “my new phone” instead, and what changes occur with the adjective?
To say “my new phone,” you would say "Mijn nieuwe telefoon." In this attributive form, nieuw is placed before the noun and takes an -e ending to become nieuwe in order to agree with the noun.
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