Hij communiceert met zijn vriend.

He communicates with his friend.

Breakdown of Hij communiceert met zijn vriend.

• hij: he
• de vriend: the friend
• met: with
• zijn: his
• communiceren: to communicate

Questions & Answers about Hij communiceert met zijn vriend.

What does the verb communiceert mean and how is it conjugated?

Communiceert is the third person singular present form of the verb communiceren, which means to communicate. In this sentence, it agrees with the subject hij (meaning he), making the sentence both grammatically correct and straightforward in its tense usage.

How is possession expressed in the phrase met zijn vriend?

In this phrase, zijn is a possessive adjective meaning his. It indicates that the friend belongs to or is associated with hij. In Dutch, when a possessive adjective is used, it typically comes directly before the noun without the need for an additional definite article.

What role does the preposition met play in this sentence, and how does its usage compare to English?

The preposition met functions similarly to the English with. It introduces a prepositional phrase that tells you who is involved in the communication. Its placement directly before zijn vriend mirrors the English construction, making it easier for an English speaker to understand.

What is the overall structure of the sentence Hij communiceert met zijn vriend?

The sentence follows a classic Dutch subject-verb-prepositional phrase (S-V-PP) structure: • Subject: Hij
• Verb: communiceert
• Prepositional Phrase: met zijn vriend
This clear structure is common in Dutch declarative sentences, especially in the simple present tense.

Why is there no article before vriend in zijn vriend?

In Dutch, when a possessive adjective like zijn is used before a noun, it inherently carries a definite sense. This means that an additional article (such as de or het) is unnecessary and generally omitted. The possessive adjective alone sufficiently indicates the relationship between the subject and the noun.

How would the sentence change if it referred to multiple friends instead of just one?

To indicate multiple friends, you would pluralize vriend to vrienden. The sentence would then read: Hij communiceert met zijn vrienden. The preposition met remains unchanged, and zijn continues to function as the possessive adjective for the plural noun.