Breakdown of Ik heb altijd wat kleingeld bij me voor de kluisjes in het zwembad.
ik
I
hebben
to have
in
in
voor
for
me
me
bij
with
altijd
always
het kleingeld
the loose change
het kluisje
the locker
het zwembad
the swimming pool
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Questions & Answers about Ik heb altijd wat kleingeld bij me voor de kluisjes in het zwembad.
What does the word kleingeld mean, and why is it written as one word?
In Dutch, kleingeld is a compound noun formed by combining klein (small) and geld (money). It refers to coins or small change. Compound nouns like this are typically written as one word in Dutch.
How should I understand the use of wat in the phrase wat kleingeld?
In this context, wat functions as an indefinite quantifier similar to the English word “some.” It implies a small, unspecified amount of small change—just enough for its intended purpose.
What does the phrase bij me indicate in the sentence?
The phrase bij me literally translates to “with me” in English. It means that the speaker always carries some small change on their person. It’s equivalent to saying “I always have some change on me” in everyday English.
Why is the part voor de kluisjes in het zwembad used, and what does it convey?
This prepositional phrase explains the purpose or reason for carrying the small change. It means “for the lockers in the swimming pool.” Essentially, the speaker always has some change ready because it’s needed to access or use the lockers available at the pool.
How does the structure of this sentence compare to English word order?
The sentence follows a structure quite similar to English: subject (Ik – I), verb (heb – have), adverb (altijd – always), and object (wat kleingeld bij me – some small change with me) followed by a purpose phrase (voor de kluisjes in het zwembad – for the lockers in the swimming pool). The placement of altijd immediately after the verb is typical in Dutch for such adverbs.
Why does the sentence use de before kluisjes but het before zwembad?
Every Dutch noun has a gender with a corresponding article. Zwembad is a neuter noun, so it takes the definite article het. As for kluisjes, even though the diminutive form of a noun is usually neuter, plural forms in Dutch always use de. So whether the singular form would normally take de or het, its plural form, as in kluisjes, uses de.