Breakdown of Op die zolder staan oude dozen, maar onze slaapkamer is juist nog vrij leeg.
zijn
to be
maar
but
oud
old
die
that
onze
our
staan
to stand
nog
still
op
on
de doos
the box
de zolder
the attic
de slaapkamer
the bedroom
vrij
quite
leeg
empty
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Questions & Answers about Op die zolder staan oude dozen, maar onze slaapkamer is juist nog vrij leeg.
What does zolder mean in this sentence?
Zolder translates to “attic” or “loft” in English. It refers to the space under the roof that is often used for storage.
Why is the demonstrative die used in “Op die zolder”?
Die means “that” and is used here to specify a particular attic. Since zolder is a common gender noun (a de-word), die is the appropriate demonstrative form rather than “dat,” which would be used with neuter nouns.
Why does the sentence begin with “Op die zolder staan oude dozen” instead of following the typical English Subject-Verb-Object order?
In Dutch, when an adverbial phrase like Op die zolder is placed at the beginning of a sentence, it triggers inversion. This means the verb (staan) comes immediately after the introductory phrase, and the subject (oude dozen) follows the verb. This is a common syntactic structure in Dutch.
Why is the verb staan used for the boxes instead of liggen?
In Dutch, verbs such as staan (to stand) and liggen (to lie) express the position or arrangement of objects. Staan is typically used when objects are positioned upright or arranged vertically—as is often the case with stacked boxes—whereas liggen implies a horizontal positioning.
What role does maar play in this sentence?
Maar functions as a contrasting conjunction meaning “but.” It is used to contrast the cluttered state at the attic, where old boxes are stored, with the condition of the bedroom, which is described as still being quite empty.
Why is onze used before slaapkamer instead of ons?
In Dutch, possessive adjectives depend on the gender of the noun they modify. Since slaapkamer is a common gender noun (a de-word), onze (used with de-nouns) is the correct choice. If it were a neuter noun (a het-word), ons would be used instead.
How do juist and nog modify the meaning in “is juist nog vrij leeg”?
Juist adds emphasis, suggesting that the emptiness of the bedroom is noteworthy—perhaps unexpectedly so in contrast to the cluttered attic. Nog means “still,” indicating that the condition of being empty continues to be true. Together with vrij (which intensifies the adjective to mean “quite” empty), these words underscore that the bedroom remains notably empty.