Ik maak soep met rozemarijn.

I make soup with rosemary.

Breakdown of Ik maak soep met rozemarijn.

• ik: I
• met: with
• maken: to make
• de soep: the soup
• de rozemarijn: the rosemary

Questions & Answers about Ik maak soep met rozemarijn.

What is the literal translation of the sentence "Ik maak soep met rozemarijn"?

It translates directly as "I make soup with rosemary." This shows that each Dutch word corresponds closely to its English equivalent.

Why is the verb written as maak instead of its infinitive form maken?

Maak is the first person singular present tense form of maken. In Dutch, when the subject is ik (I), the verb is conjugated by dropping the -en ending and using the appropriate form—in this case, maak.

Why is there no article before the noun soep in this sentence?

In Dutch, as in English, when talking about food in a general sense or as an uncountable substance, it’s common to leave off the article. So, soep is used without an article to mean soup in general rather than referring to a specific bowl or instance of soup.

What role does the preposition met play in the sentence?

Met means "with," and it introduces the ingredient accompanying the soup—here, rozemarijn (rosemary). It functions just like the preposition “with” does in English, linking the noun to explain how the soup is made or what it contains.

Is the word order in this Dutch sentence similar to that in English?

Yes, it is. The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object structure: Ik (subject) – maak (verb) – soep (object), followed by the prepositional phrase met rozemarijn. This resembles the typical word order in simple English sentences like “I make soup with rosemary.”

Could the sentence also be written as "Ik maak een soep met rozemarijn"?

Yes, it could be. Adding een would specify a particular instance or bowl of soup, making it "a soup" rather than soup in general. However, when speaking about making soup as a food concept without highlighting its countability, it’s more common in Dutch to omit the article.