Ik wil juist nu een boek lezen.

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Breakdown of Ik wil juist nu een boek lezen.

• het boek: the book
• lezen: to read
• willen: to want
• nu: now
• juist: right

Questions & Answers about Ik wil juist nu een boek lezen.

What does the word juist add in this sentence?

In this context, juist emphasizes the immediacy and exactness of the timing. While nu means "now," adding juist (translated as "exactly" or "precisely") reinforces that the speaker intends to read a book at this very moment.

Why are both juist and nu used together? Isn't nu enough to indicate "now"?

Yes, nu alone indicates "now," but combining it with juist adds a layer of emphasis. The pair juist nu stresses that the moment is not just any time now but precisely right now, leaving no room for delay.

Why does the infinitive lezen appear at the end of the sentence rather than immediately after wil?

Dutch grammar often places the main verb in its infinitive form at the end of a clause when it is paired with a modal verb like wil. Here, wil is the conjugated modal verb occupying the second position, while lezen (to read) is the action and is thus positioned at the end, following typical Dutch sentence structure.

What role does the phrase een boek play, and why is it positioned before the infinitive lezen?

Een boek is the direct object of the sentence, specifying what the speaker wants to read. In Dutch modal constructions, the object is typically placed before the infinitive. This arrangement clearly indicates that the desire expressed by wil is aimed at reading a book.

Can you break down the overall structure of the sentence to explain the order of its components?

Certainly. The sentence is structured as follows: • Subject: Ik (I) • Modal Verb: wil (want) • Emphasis/Time Adverbs: juist nu (right now) • Direct Object: een boek (a book) • Infinitive Verb: lezen (to read)

This sequence follows Dutch word order rules, especially in modal sentences: the subject comes first, the modal verb takes the second position, adverbs like juist nu add emphasis before the object, and the main action (in its infinitive form) appears at the end.