Breakdown of Hij zoekt bescherming tegen de kou.
hij
he
zoeken
to seek
de bescherming
the protection
tegen
against
de kou
the cold
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Questions & Answers about Hij zoekt bescherming tegen de kou.
What is the English translation of the sentence "Hij zoekt bescherming tegen de kou."?
The sentence translates as "He seeks protection against the cold."
Why is the preposition tegen used in this sentence?
"Tegen" means "against" in Dutch and is used to indicate protection from or defense against something harmful—in this case, the cold. It is the correct choice for expressing protection against a negative condition.
How is the verb zoeken conjugated in this sentence and what does that tell us about the subject?
The verb is conjugated as "zoekt," which is the third person singular present tense form of "zoeken." This form agrees with the subject "hij" (he), indicating that he is currently in the process of seeking.
Why is the definite article de used before kou?
In Dutch, most common gender nouns (masculine or feminine) take the definite article "de." The noun "kou" is considered a common gender noun, so it is correctly preceded by "de," similar to how many abstract or general nouns in Dutch require a definite article.
What role does the phrase bescherming tegen de kou play within the sentence?
The phrase "bescherming tegen de kou" functions as the object of the verb "zoekt." It tells us what "he" is seeking—namely, protection against the cold.
Why is no article used before bescherming, while there is one before kou?
"Bescherming" is used here as an abstract noun referring to the general concept of protection, which in both Dutch and English can appear without an article when speaking in general terms. In contrast, "kou" is a specific noun that takes the definite article "de" because it refers to a well-defined concept (the cold).