Zelfs de hond loopt in het park.

Breakdown of Zelfs de hond loopt in het park.

de hond
the dog
in
in
lopen
to walk
het park
the park
zelfs
even
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Questions & Answers about Zelfs de hond loopt in het park.

What does zelfs mean in this sentence?
Zelfs translates to "even" in English. It is used to add emphasis by indicating that the statement might be surprising or unexpected, suggesting that what follows is noteworthy.
How is the sentence "Zelfs de hond loopt in het park" translated into English?
It translates to "Even the dog walks in the park." This shows that not only do others partake in the action, but surprisingly, even the dog does.
What does loopt mean, and why is it used here?
Loopt is the present tense form of the verb lopen, which means "to walk." In this sentence, it indicates that the dog walks or is walking in the park.
Why is zelfs positioned at the beginning of the sentence?
Placing zelfs at the beginning serves to immediately highlight the unexpected element of the sentence. It sets the stage for the reader to understand that the ensuing action (the dog walking) is particularly noteworthy.
What role does the definite article de play in de hond?
In Dutch, de is the definite article used with common gender nouns. Here, it specifies hond (dog) as being a particular or well-recognized dog, much like using "the" before a noun in English.
How does the structure of this Dutch sentence compare to that of a typical English sentence?
The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Complement order, similar to English. De hond is the subject, loopt is the verb, and in het park provides the location. However, the use of zelfs at the very start is a stylistic choice that emphasizes unexpectedness, a nuance that might be arranged differently in English for similar effect.