Tom praat grappig.

Tom

Breakdown of Tom praat grappig.

• praten: to talk
• grappig: funny

Questions & Answers about Tom praat grappig.

Why doesn’t the adjective grappig change its form to indicate that it’s modifying the verb, similar to how English adds “-ly” for adverbs?

In Dutch, adjectives used predicatively—meaning they follow the verb to describe the action—remain in their basic form. Unlike English, you don’t add an ending (like “-ly”) when an adjective functions adverbially. In Tom praat grappig, grappig describes the manner in which Tom speaks without any additional change.

What grammatical role does grappig play in this sentence?

Although grappig looks like a regular adjective, in this context it functions as a predicate adjective modifying the verb praat. It tells us how Tom is speaking. Even though English typically uses an adverb (as in “speaks funny” or “in a funny way”), Dutch uses the adjective form in such constructions without any extra inflection.

Why is the verb praat used without any extra ending for the third-person singular subject?

In Dutch, the conjugation for the verb praten in the present tense is simple. The forms are ik praat, jij praat, and hij/zij praat (or in this case with a proper noun, Tom praat). The third-person singular form is identical to the base form, so no extra ending is needed.

What is the difference between using praten and spreken in Dutch, and why is praten chosen here?