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De zon is warm.

De zon is warm.
The sun is warm.
FromLesson 16inHardcore Dutch
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Breakdown of De zon is warm.

zijn
to be
warm
warm
de zon
the sun

Questions & Answers about De zon is warm.

What is the grammatical breakdown of De zon is warm?
De is the definite article that introduces the noun zon (sun). Is is the present tense of the verb zijn (to be), which acts as a linking verb. Warm is a predicative adjective describing the noun. Together, the sentence follows a clear subject-verb-predicate (adjective) structure.
Why is the definite article de used for zon instead of het?
In Dutch, nouns are classified by gender. De is used for both masculine and feminine nouns (commonly referred to as common gender), while het is used for neuter nouns. Since zon (sun) is a common gender noun, it correctly takes the article de.
What tense is the verb is in, and what role does it play in the sentence?
The verb is is in the present tense. It functions as a linking verb that connects the subject zon with the predicate adjective warm, stating the current condition or state of the sun.
Why does the adjective warm not show any inflection or ending in this sentence?
In Dutch, adjectives used in a predicative position (following a linking verb like is) are not inflected. Adjective endings are typically added only when the adjective directly precedes a noun (attributive position). Thus, warm remains uninflected here.
How does the word order in De zon is warm compare to English sentence structure?
The sentence follows a simple Subject-Verb-Predicate order, which is very similar to English. In both Dutch and English, you have the subject (de zon/the sun) first, followed by the linking verb (is), and then the adjective (warm) describing the subject.

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