Ik loop naar de bibliotheek.

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Breakdown of Ik loop naar de bibliotheek.

• naar: to
• lopen: to walk
• de bibliotheek: the library

Questions & Answers about Ik loop naar de bibliotheek.

What does the verb loop indicate in this sentence?

"Loop" is the first-person singular present tense form of the Dutch verb lopen, which generally means "to walk." In this context, it indicates that I am walking or I walk.

Why is the preposition naar used in the sentence?

The preposition naar is used to show movement toward a destination. Here, it translates to "to," indicating that the movement is directed toward the library.

Why is the definite article de used with bibliotheek?

In Dutch, nouns are assigned genders. Bibliotheek is a common-gender noun, which takes the definite article de rather than het (used for neuter nouns). That’s why we say de bibliotheek for "the library."

Does the present tense "Ik loop" indicate an action happening right now, a habitual action, or both?

Dutch uses the simple present tense for both ongoing actions and habitual routines. Depending on the context, "Ik loop naar de bibliotheek" can mean either "I am walking to the library" (right now) or "I walk to the library" (as a regular habit).

How would the sentence change if a different subject were used, such as you or he/she?

The verb form changes to match the subject. For example:

• With you (informal singular), it becomes "Jij loopt naar de bibliotheek."
• For he or she, it changes to "Hij/Zij loopt naar de bibliotheek." The prepositional phrase naar de bibliotheek remains unchanged since it still indicates the same destination.