Breakdown of Ik moet straks aanbellen bij de buurman, want ik heb iets belangrijks te vragen.
ik
I
hebben
to have
want
because
belangrijk
important
straks
soon
moeten
must
iets
something
de buurman
the neighbor
bij
at
vragen
to ask
aanbellen
to ring
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Questions & Answers about Ik moet straks aanbellen bij de buurman, want ik heb iets belangrijks te vragen.
What does the verb aanbellen mean in this sentence?
Aanbellen means to ring the doorbell. In this context, it indicates that the speaker will go and ring the neighbor’s doorbell.
What does straks signify here?
Straks means "soon" or "in a little while." It tells us that the action of ringing the doorbell will take place shortly.
Why is buurman preceded by de (making it de buurman), and what does it mean?
Buurman means "neighbor." The definite article de is used because the speaker is referring to a specific neighbor that both the speaker and listener are familiar with.
How is the phrase ik heb iets belangrijks te vragen structured, and what does it mean?
This phrase translates to "I have something important to ask." It is structured with ik heb (I have) followed by iets belangrijks (something important), and then te vragen (to ask) as the infinitive expressing the purpose or content of the inquiry.
What does the word want mean in this sentence, and why is it used?
Want means "because." It is used as a conjunction to link the two parts of the sentence, providing the reason for the action of ringing the doorbell.
Why does the adjective belangrijk take an -s to become belangrijks in this sentence?
In Dutch, adjectives used with certain pronouns like iets (something) are inflected according to specific grammar rules. Here, belangrijks is the inflected form required to agree with iets as its determiner, following the standard adjective inflection patterns.
How do modal verbs like moet affect the word order in Dutch sentences?
When a modal verb such as moet (must/need to) is used, it appears in a finite form while the main verb (here, aanbellen) remains in the infinitive form and is placed at the end of the clause. This construction is typical in Dutch sentences that use modal verbs.