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Questions & Answers about Ik heb drie boeken.
What does the verb heb mean in the sentence Ik heb drie boeken?
Heb is the first-person singular form of the verb hebben, which means "to have." In this sentence, it functions as the main verb, expressing possession.
Why is there no article before drie boeken?
In Dutch, when a numeral like drie (three) specifies the quantity, an article is not used. The numeral itself acts as the determiner, so you directly say drie boeken rather than including an extra article.
How is the plural of boek formed to become boeken?
The plural is generally created by adding -en to the noun. For boek (book), adding -en forms boeken (books). This is one of the typical patterns for pluralization in Dutch.
Is the sentence structure in Ik heb drie boeken similar to that in English?
Yes, the structure is quite similar. It follows the Subject-Verb-Object order: Ik (I) is the subject, heb (have) is the verb, and drie boeken (three books) is the object, mirroring the English sentence "I have three books."
Would the verb form change if the subject were different, for example with jij (you)?
Yes, the verb conjugates according to the subject. For instance, with jij as the subject, the verb typically takes a -t to become hebt—resulting in Jij hebt drie boeken in a statement. In questions where the subject follows the verb (e.g., Heb jij drie boeken?), the -t is often dropped.