Breakdown of Ik trakteer mijn broer op lunch.
ik
I
mijn
my
de broer
the brother
de lunch
the lunch
trakteren op
to treat
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Questions & Answers about Ik trakteer mijn broer op lunch.
What does the verb trakteer mean in this sentence?
The verb trakteer means “to treat” in the sense of paying for someone’s meal or offering something as a treat. Here, it indicates that the speaker is paying for lunch for their brother.
Why is the preposition op used after trakteer?
In Dutch, the construction iemand op iets trakteren is idiomatic. The preposition op is required to connect the verb with the treat (in this case, lunch). It literally forms part of the expression that means “to treat someone to something.”
What does mijn broer signify in the sentence?
Mijn broer translates to “my brother.” The word mijn is a possessive adjective showing ownership (my), and broer means brother. Together, they indicate whom the treat is for.
Is it possible to change lunch to another meal, and would the sentence structure remain the same?
Yes, you can replace lunch with any other meal (for example, diner or ontbijt) while keeping the same structure. The sentence will still follow the pattern Ik trakteer mijn [relative/friend] op [meal], which means “I treat my [relative/friend] to [meal].”
How does the structure of this Dutch sentence compare to its English equivalent “I’m treating my brother to lunch”?
Both sentences express the same idea, but they manage the idiom differently. In English, “treat someone to something” closely resembles the Dutch structure where trakteer is paired with op lunch. The key difference is the use of the preposition op in Dutch, which is an essential part of the idiomatic expression.