Ik maak de vloer schoon.

I

Breakdown of Ik maak de vloer schoon.

• schoonmaken: to clean
• de vloer: the floor

Questions & Answers about Ik maak de vloer schoon.

What is the literal translation of "Ik maak de vloer schoon."?

It literally translates to "I make the floor clean." In everyday English, however, we express this idea by saying "I clean the floor."

Why is the word schoon placed at the end of the sentence instead of directly following de vloer?

In Dutch, schoonmaken is a separable verb. When conjugated in a main clause, the verb splits: the main part (here, maak) appears in the second position and the separable prefix (schoon) is shifted to the end of the sentence. This structure is a characteristic of many Dutch separable verbs.

What exactly is a separable verb and how does it function in this sentence?

A separable verb is one that divides into two parts under certain grammatical conditions. In the case of schoonmaken (to clean), the verb splits so that maak is used in its conjugated position and schoon is placed at the end. This split both marks the verb’s separable nature and follows Dutch word order rules in main clauses.

Does the word order change if this sentence is used in a subordinate clause?

Yes, it does. In subordinate clauses, the separable prefix normally stays attached to the verb. For example, you might say "dat ik de vloer schoonmaak" instead of splitting the verb, keeping it as one unit.

How does this Dutch construction compare to English verb structures?

While the literal Dutch phrasing might seem to echo "I make the floor clean," English simply uses the verb "clean" with the structure "I clean the floor." Dutch separates the action into two parts with a separable verb, a concept that is uncommon in English, which typically relies on single-word verbs to convey similar actions.

What are the grammatical roles of Ik and de vloer in the sentence?

In this sentence, Ik is the subject performing the action, and de vloer is the direct object that receives the action of being cleaned. The separable verb schoonmaken thus describes the process of making the object (the floor) clean.