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Questions & Answers about Hij spreekt duidelijk.
What does hij mean in this sentence?
Hij is the Dutch pronoun for he and serves as the subject of the sentence.
What is the function of spreekt here, and how is it conjugated?
Spreekt is the third person singular present tense of the verb spreken (to speak). It is correctly conjugated to match the subject hij.
How does duidelijk function, and what does it mean?
Duidelijk means clearly and functions as an adverb modifying the verb spreekt. Although it appears as what might look like an adjective, in this context it describes the manner in which he speaks.
How does the word order of "Hij spreekt duidelijk." compare with its English equivalent?
The word order in Dutch here follows a similar Subject-Verb-Adverb pattern as in English ("He speaks clearly."), which makes the structure quite straightforward for English speakers.
Why does duidelijk not change form when used as an adverb, unlike some adjectives in English that add -ly?
In Dutch, adjectives used adverbially do not take on a special ending. Duidelijk remains the same whether it is describing a noun or modifying a verb, so there’s no need for an extra suffix like -ly.