Breakdown of Parkeren in het centrum is kostbaar, dus ik gebruik liever het openbaar vervoer.
ik
I
zijn
to be
in
in
dus
so
gebruiken
to use
liever
rather
het centrum
the center
het vervoer
the transport
openbaar
public
parkeren
to park
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Parkeren in het centrum is kostbaar, dus ik gebruik liever het openbaar vervoer.
What does parkeren mean in this sentence, and why is it used in its base form?
Parkeren means to park. In this sentence, it is used as an infinitive functioning as a noun—the subject of the sentence. In Dutch, when an infinitive is used in a nominal role (similar to saying “Parking is expensive” in English), it remains in its base form rather than being conjugated.
What does kostbaar indicate in this context?
Kostbaar translates to expensive or costly. Here, it describes the high cost of parking in the city center, emphasizing that parking is not an economical option for the speaker.
How does the word dus function in this sentence?
Dus means “so” or “therefore.” It connects the two clauses by showing a cause-and-effect relationship: because parking is expensive, the speaker opts for public transport. This linking word makes the logical consequence clear.
How does the phrase ik gebruik liever express preference?
Ik gebruik liever means “I would rather use” or “I prefer to use.” The word liever is used to express a comparative preference between options—in this case, choosing public transport over parking. It tells us that given the high cost of parking, the speaker finds using public transport to be the preferable choice.
Why is het openbaar vervoer preceded by het instead of de?
In Dutch, the noun phrase openbaar vervoer (meaning “public transport”) is neuter. Neuter nouns take the definite article het rather than de. Therefore, it is correctly written as het openbaar vervoer.
Why is there a comma before dus in this sentence?
The comma separates two independent clauses: the first clause explains that parking in the city center is expensive, and the second explains the consequence of that fact. Although Dutch punctuation rules with coordinating conjunctions like dus can be somewhat flexible, using a comma here helps clarify the structure by marking the pause between cause and effect.
What is the difference between liever and liefst, and why is liever used here?
Both liever and liefst relate to expressing preference. Liever is used to indicate a comparative preference when choosing between options (as in “I would rather…”), while liefst is often used to express the superlative or the option one likes the most (as in “preferably” or “best”). In this sentence, liever is appropriate because the speaker is comparing two possibilities—parking versus using public transport—rather than stating an absolute possibility as the best option.