Ik lees een boek over de geschiedenis van Nederland.

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Breakdown of Ik lees een boek over de geschiedenis van Nederland.

• het boek: the book
• lezen: to read
• over: about
• van: of
• de geschiedenis: the history
• Nederland: the Netherlands

Questions & Answers about Ik lees een boek over de geschiedenis van Nederland.

What is the function of the verb lees in this sentence?

Lees is the first person singular present form of the verb lezen, which means "to read." It indicates that the subject Ik ("I") is performing the action of reading in the present tense.

What does the word een signify in een boek?

The word een is the indefinite article in Dutch, equivalent to "a" or "an" in English. It is used here because the sentence refers to a non-specific or any book rather than a particular one.

What role does the preposition over play in the sentence?

The preposition over translates to "about" in English. It connects een boek ("a book") to the topic it covers, which is de geschiedenis van Nederland ("the history of the Netherlands").

Why is the definite article de used in de geschiedenis instead of an indefinite article?

De geschiedenis uses the definite article de because it refers to a specific subject—the history that is inherently recognizable as a defined field or topic, in this case, the history of the Netherlands.

How does the preposition van function in van Nederland?

Van functions similarly to "of" in English. It shows a possessive or relational connection between de geschiedenis and Nederland, indicating that the history belongs to or is about the Netherlands.