De acteur speelt in een film.

The actor plays in a film.

Breakdown of De acteur speelt in een film.

• in: in
• spelen: to play
• de film: the film
• de acteur: the actor

Questions & Answers about De acteur speelt in een film.

What does de acteur mean, and why is de used instead of het?

De acteur translates to “the actor.” In Dutch, de is the definite article used for common gender nouns. Since “acteur” is a common gender noun (specifically referring to a male actor), de is the appropriate article rather than het, which is reserved for neuter nouns.

What is the role of the verb speelt in this sentence, and how is it conjugated?

The verb speelt is the third person singular present form of the infinitive spelen (to play). In this context, it means "acts" or "performs" in a film. The conjugation follows the standard Dutch rule where, for most regular verbs, you add a -t for the third person singular.

How does the phrase in een film function within the sentence?

The phrase in een film is a prepositional phrase that provides additional information about where the action is taking place. It translates directly to “in a film,” indicating the setting or context for the actor’s performance.

Why is the sentence structured as De acteur speelt in een film? What is the typical word order in Dutch?

Dutch main clauses usually follow the subject–verb–object (SVO) order, with the finite verb typically in the second position. In this sentence, De acteur is the subject, speelt is the verb, and in een film functions as an adverbial phrase. This order is quite similar to English, although Dutch word order can change in subordinate clauses.

Are there any gender considerations in the noun acteur similar to those in English?

Yes, while English usually uses “actor” for both genders (with “actress” being an optional distinction), Dutch makes a clearer gender distinction. Acteur specifically refers to a male actor, whereas a female actor is typically called actrice. Such gender differences are common in Dutch nouns.