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Questions & Answers about Morgen doe ik examen.
What does Morgen doe ik examen mean in English?
It means "Tomorrow, I have an exam". Although the literal translation is "Tomorrow I do exam", in English we naturally say "have an exam."
Why is the verb doe used in this sentence?
The verb doe is the first-person singular form of doen (to do). In Dutch, the phrase examen doen is an idiomatic way to say "to take an exam" rather than using a verb that corresponds directly to "to take."
Why is there no article (like het) before examen?
In expressions like examen doen, omitting the article is standard in Dutch. It’s a fixed expression similar to how English speakers say "go to school" instead of "go to the school" when referring to the general activity.
Why is the time expression Morgen placed at the beginning of the sentence?
In Dutch, it is common to front adverbs of time for emphasis, which often triggers an inversion in sentence structure. Placing Morgen (tomorrow) at the start sets the temporal context immediately, making "Morgen doe ik examen" the preferred form over a sentence like "Ik doe examen morgen."
Can the sentence be rearranged differently while still being correct?
Yes, it can. For example, you could also say "Ik doe morgen examen". Both structures are grammatically correct, but starting with Morgen emphasizes when the exam is happening, while the alternative puts the focus more on the action.