Breakdown of Ik moet de afwas doen na het eten.
ik
I
na
after
moeten
must
doen
to do
het eten
the meal
de afwas
the dishes
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ik moet de afwas doen na het eten.
What is the role of the modal verb moet in this sentence?
The modal verb moet is the present tense of moeten, which expresses necessity or obligation. In this sentence, it indicates that the speaker is required or has an obligation to do something—in this case, to wash the dishes. Modal verbs in Dutch are typically followed by the infinitive form of the main verb without any additional particle.
Why is the main verb written as doen in its infinitive form, and why isn’t there a particle like te before it?
In Dutch stylistics, when a modal verb like moeten is used, the following main verb is placed in its bare infinitive form without any particle such as te. This is a standard grammatical rule. The structure is: subject (Ik) + modal verb (moet) + additional elements (de afwas) + main verb in its infinitive (doen).
What does de afwas mean in this context?
De afwas literally means "the dishes," but it is also commonly understood as "the act of washing the dishes" or "dishwashing." In the sentence, it refers to the household chore of cleaning the dishes after a meal. The definite article de is used because afwas is a common gender noun in Dutch.
How is the phrase na het eten constructed, and what does it convey?
The phrase na het eten is composed of the preposition na meaning "after" and the noun phrase het eten meaning "the eating" or "the meal." Together, they create a time expression that means "after eating" (or "after dinner"). The article het is used with eten because eten is a neuter noun in Dutch.
How does the overall word order in this sentence work, especially regarding the placement of the modal and main verbs?
The sentence follows a typical Dutch modal construction. The order is: • Subject: Ik • Modal verb: moet • Object: de afwas • Main verb (in its bare infinitive form): doen • Additional adverbial phrase: na het eten
This structure places the modal verb in the second position and the main verb at or near the end of the clause, which is common in Dutch when expressing obligations or necessities.