Ik ga in de tuin afkoelen.

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Breakdown of Ik ga in de tuin afkoelen.

• gaan: to go
• in: in
• de tuin: the garden
• afkoelen: to cool down

Questions & Answers about Ik ga in de tuin afkoelen.

What does the verb afkoelen literally mean in this sentence?

The verb afkoelen literally means to cool off or to cool down. It refers to the process of reducing temperature—whether it's for an object or for oneself.

Why is the sentence structured as Ik ga … afkoelen rather than simply Ik koel af?

In Dutch, expressing a near-future intention is often done with the construction ga + an infinitive. Here, Ik ga afkoelen means I am going to cool off. This structure makes it clear that cooling off is an intended action rather than something happening immediately.

What role does the phrase in de tuin play in the sentence?

The phrase in de tuin is a prepositional phrase that indicates location. It tells you where the action of cooling off will take place, meaning in the garden.

Why is the separable verb afkoelen kept together at the end of this sentence?

Because afkoelen is used in its infinitive form after the auxiliary ga, it remains intact at the sentence’s end. In Dutch, when using a modal or future construction like this, the separable verb does not split; it stays together in the infinitive form.

Can the prepositional phrase in de tuin be moved, or is its position fixed?

Dutch word order does allow some flexibility, but placing in de tuin between the conjugated verb ga and the infinitive afkoelen is the most natural and clear position in this construction. Moving it might be grammatically acceptable in some contexts, but it could change the emphasis or clarity of the sentence.