Breakdown of Mijn collega werkt in het kantoor.
in
in
mijn
my
werken
to work
het kantoor
the office
de collega
the colleague
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Questions & Answers about Mijn collega werkt in het kantoor.
Why is the verb werkt conjugated with a “-t” in this sentence?
In Dutch, verbs are conjugated according to their subject. Here, collega is a third-person singular noun, so the verb werken takes the -t ending, forming werkt. If the subject were ik (I), for example, the form would simply be werk.
Why is the definite article het used before kantoor instead of de?
Dutch nouns have grammatical genders. Kantoor is a neuter noun, which means it takes the neuter article het. Nouns of common gender (either masculine or feminine) take de instead.
How does the adverbial phrase in het kantoor function in this sentence?
The phrase in het kantoor functions as a locative complement, indicating where the action happens. Like in English, Dutch often places adverbial phrases after the verb in a simple main clause, which is why it appears after werkt.
Is the term collega gender-neutral in Dutch?
Yes, collega is a gender-neutral term that can refer to either a male or a female co-worker. The context usually clarifies any gender specifics, but the word itself does not imply a particular gender.
How does the word order in "Mijn collega werkt in het kantoor" compare to English sentence structure?
The word order in this sentence is very similar to English. It follows a subject-verb-adverbial pattern: • Mijn collega (subject) • werkt (verb) • in het kantoor (adverbial phrase specifying location) This similarity can make it easier for English speakers to grasp the basic sentence structure in Dutch.
Could the preposition in be replaced with op in this context, and what difference would that make?
Yes, you might also say Mijn collega werkt op kantoor. Both versions translate to "My colleague works at the office." However, in het kantoor specifically suggests being inside a defined office space, whereas op kantoor is more idiomatic for referring generally to the workplace without emphasizing the interior of a building.