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Het water is koud.

Het water is koud.
The water is cold.
FromLesson 11inHardcore Dutch
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Breakdown of Het water is koud.

zijn
to be
het water
the water
koud
cold
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Questions & Answers about Het water is koud.

What does het mean in the sentence Het water is koud?
Het is the neuter definite article in Dutch, equivalent to the in English. Since water is a neuter noun, it takes het instead of de—the article used for common gender nouns.
Why is the noun water preceded by het rather than de?
In Dutch, nouns are divided into two genders: common and neuter. Water is classified as neuter, so it is paired with het. This is similar to how some languages have different articles to match the noun's gender.
Why is the adjective koud not changed to koude in this sentence?
The adjective koud follows the linking verb is and functions as a predicate adjective. In Dutch, predicate adjectives remain uninflected. If you were to use the adjective before the noun (attributively), you would say het koude water, adding an ending. But when used after is, no ending is needed.
What function does the verb is serve in this sentence?
Is is the third-person singular form of the verb zijn (to be) in Dutch. It acts as a linking verb, connecting the subject (het water) with the descriptive adjective (koud). This role is very similar to the verb is in the English sentence The water is cold.
How similar is the sentence structure of Het water is koud to the English sentence The water is cold?
The structure is almost identical. Both sentences follow a subject + linking verb + adjective pattern. This similarity in basic sentence construction can help English speakers grasp Dutch sentence structure more easily.
How would you form the negative sentence The water is not cold in Dutch?
To negate the sentence, you simply insert niet after the verb. So, The water is not cold translates as Het water is niet koud.