De file is lang.

The traffic jam is long.

Breakdown of De file is lang.

• zijn: to be
• lang: long
• de file: the traffic jam

Questions & Answers about De file is lang.

What does the file mean in this sentence?

In Dutch, file refers to a traffic jam—a long line of vehicles—rather than a computer file or document. Even though it looks like the English word file, its meaning here is quite different.

Why is the definite article de used instead of het?

Dutch nouns have two grammatical genders, and file is a common gender noun. That’s why it takes the de article (similar to de man or de auto) rather than het.

Why is the adjective lang not lange in this sentence?

In Dutch, adjectives used as predicates (following a linking verb like is) do not take an ending. If the adjective were used before the noun (as in een lange file), it would include the -e ending. Since lang comes after is, no ending is needed.

What role does the verb is play in this sentence?

Is is the third-person singular form of the verb zijn (to be) in Dutch. It functions as a linking verb that connects the subject (de file) with the predicate adjective (lang), establishing the sentence’s basic structure.

How does the word order in De file is lang compare to English sentence structure?

The sentence follows the subject–verb–predicate adjective structure, which is very similar to English. Just as in the sentence The traffic jam is long, the subject (de file) comes first, followed by the linking verb (is), and then the adjective (lang) that describes the subject.