Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about De hond loopt uit het huis.
What does uit mean in this sentence?
In this context, uit translates to "out of". It indicates that the dog is moving from inside the house to the outside.
Why are there two different articles, de and het, in the sentence?
Dutch uses different articles to mark the gender of nouns. De is used with common gender nouns (as in hond for “dog”), while het is used with neuter nouns (as in huis for “house”).
How is the sentence De hond loopt uit het huis structured?
The sentence follows a basic pattern: subject (De hond), verb (loopt), and an adverbial/prepositional phrase (uit het huis). This structure shows who is performing the action, what the action is, and from where the action takes place.
Does the verb loopt always mean "walks"?
Typically, loopt is the third-person singular form of lopen and means "walks". However, context is important because lopen can sometimes be used more loosely to mean “goes” or even “runs” in informal contexts. In this sentence, it clearly describes a walking action.
Can I replace loopt with gaat in this sentence and still convey a similar meaning?
Yes, you could say De hond gaat uit het huis. The difference is that loopt specifically indicates the act of walking, while gaat is more general for “goes.” The choice depends on the nuance you want to express regarding the manner of movement.
Why is the prepositional phrase uit het huis positioned right after the verb?
This placement is common in Dutch. In simple sentences the adverbial or prepositional phrases (here, uit het huis) are usually placed after the verb to indicate additional details about the action, such as direction or origin.