Breakdown of Ik zet het brood in de koelkast.
ik
I
het brood
the bread
in
in
zetten
to put
de koelkast
the refrigerator
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Questions & Answers about Ik zet het brood in de koelkast.
What does the verb zet mean in this sentence?
Zet is the present tense form of the verb zetten, which means to put or to place. In this sentence, it tells us that the speaker is putting the bread in the refrigerator.
How is the sentence structured in terms of word order?
The sentence follows the common Dutch word order: Subject (Ik) – Verb (zet) – Direct Object (het brood) – Prepositional Phrase (in de koelkast). This structure is similar to the English SVO order, with the location (the fridge) coming at the end.
Why is the definite article het used with brood instead of de?
In Dutch, nouns have grammatical gender. Brood is a neuter noun, and neuter singular nouns take the article het, whereas masculine or feminine nouns usually take de.
What does the phrase in de koelkast indicate in this sentence?
The phrase in de koelkast tells us where the action is taking place. It translates to in the refrigerator or in the fridge, indicating that the bread is being placed inside it.
What tense is used in the sentence, and how does this compare to English tenses?
The sentence is in the present tense. In Dutch, as in English, the present tense can express a current action—as in I am putting the bread in the fridge—or a habitual action. Context usually clarifies whether the action is happening right now or regularly.
Why is the preposition in used here, and could another preposition work?
The preposition in indicates that the bread is being placed inside the refrigerator. It emphasizes that the bread is contained within it. Although Dutch also has the preposition naar (meaning "to" for movement toward a destination), in is the correct choice here because it specifies the final, enclosed location of the bread.