Word
De koffie is gratis.
Meaning
The coffee is free.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about De koffie is gratis.
What is the translation of "De koffie is gratis." in English?
It means "The coffee is free." This is a direct translation showing that the coffee comes without charge.
Why is the definite article de used instead of het?
In Dutch, every noun is assigned either de (common gender) or het (neuter). Koffie is one of the nouns that takes de, so it translates to "the coffee" in English. For learners, it’s important to memorize the article that goes with each noun since it isn’t always predictable.
How is the word order in this sentence similar to or different from English?
The word order in De koffie is gratis. is very similar to English. It follows the Subject-Verb-Complement structure: De koffie (subject) + is (verb) + gratis (complement), which parallels "The coffee is free." in English.
What role does gratis play in this sentence, and why does it not change form?
Gratis functions as a predicative adjective; it describes the state of the subject after the linking verb is. In Dutch, when adjectives are used predicatively (after the verb), they remain in their base form without any additional endings, unlike when they are used attributively before a noun.