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De auto stopt, want het stoplicht is rood.

De auto stopt, want het stoplicht is rood.
The car stops because the traffic light is red.
FromLesson 14inHardcore Dutch
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Questions & Answers about De auto stopt, want het stoplicht is rood.

What does De auto mean in English?
It translates to "the car". De is the definite article used for common gender nouns, and auto means "car".
Why is the verb written as stopt instead of stop?
In Dutch, verbs are conjugated according to the subject. Since de auto (the car) is a third-person singular subject, the base form stop receives a -t to become stopt. This follows the regular conjugation pattern for most Dutch verbs in the present tense.
What is the function of want in this sentence?
Want is a coordinating conjunction that means "because". It connects the two independent clauses (De auto stopt and het stoplicht is rood) by providing a reason for why the car stops.
How can we break down het stoplicht is rood?

Het stoplicht is rood translates to "the traffic light is red."
• Het is the neuter definite article, used here because stoplicht is a neuter noun.
• Stoplicht means "traffic light."
• Is is equivalent to the English "is."
• Rood means "red."

Why is there a comma before want, and is that typical in Dutch punctuation?
Yes, the comma is typical in Dutch when linking two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction like want. The comma helps clarify the division between the two clauses, much like in English when a pause is needed to separate related ideas.

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