Breakdown of De zolder in ons nieuwe huis is heel ruim en heeft een klein raam.
zijn
to be
klein
small
hebben
to have
in
in
nieuw
new
het huis
the house
heel
very
en
and
ons
our
het raam
the window
de zolder
the attic
ruim
spacious
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Questions & Answers about De zolder in ons nieuwe huis is heel ruim en heeft een klein raam.
Why is the definite article De used with zolder instead of Het?
In Dutch, zolder is a common gender noun, and most common gender nouns take the definite article de. Neuter nouns, on the other hand, typically use het. Since zolder is not neuter, de is the correct article.
Why is the possessive pronoun ons used in ons nieuwe huis instead of onze?
Dutch possessive pronouns must agree with the gender of the noun they modify. Huis is a neuter noun, and therefore the appropriate possessive form is ons. For a common gender noun like zolder, you would use onze instead.
Why does the adjective nieuw become nieuwe in ons nieuwe huis?
When an adjective directly precedes a noun that has a definite determiner—such as a possessive pronoun—the adjective takes an -e ending. Here, because huis is modified by ons, nieuw becomes nieuwe.
Why doesn’t ruim in is heel ruim have an -e ending?
In this sentence, ruim is used as a predicate adjective following the linking verb is. In Dutch, adjectives used in the predicate position do not take the -e ending, which is why ruim remains unchanged.
What is the role of heel in the phrase is heel ruim?
Heel functions as an intensifier, similar to the word very in English. It strengthens the adjective ruim, conveying that the attic is not just spacious, but very spacious.
Why is the subject De zolder not repeated in the second clause heeft een klein raam?
The subject De zolder is understood to be shared by both clauses. In Dutch (as in English), when two clauses have the same subject, it is common and grammatically acceptable to omit the subject in the subsequent clause to avoid redundancy.
Why doesn’t the adjective klein in een klein raam receive an -e ending?
When an attributive adjective comes before a singular, neuter noun preceded by the indefinite article een, it typically remains uninflected (without the -e ending). That’s why klein does not change form in een klein raam.