Learn Hardcore Dutch: Tom en Anna fietsen rustig langs het meer. - Tom and Anna are cycling slowly along the lake.

Fietsen means “to cycle” or “to bike.” In this sentence it indicates that Tom and Anna are engaging in the activity of cycling. Notice that for a plural subject in Dutch, the form fietsen remains the same as the infinitive.

How is the subject “Tom en Anna” reflected in the verb conjugation?

“Tom en Anna” is a compound plural subject, so the verb is used in its plural form. In Dutch, many verbs have the same form in the plural present as their infinitive, which is why fietsen is used without any additional modification.

What role does the adverb rustig play in the sentence?

Rustig is an adverb that modifies the verb fietsen. It describes the manner in which Tom and Anna are cycling—namely, in a calm or leisurely way. Its placement right after the verb is common in Dutch for expressing how something is done.

What does the phrase langs het meer mean and how is it structured?

The preposition langs translates to “along” in English, and het meer means “the lake.” Together, the phrase indicates the location or path of the cycling, showing that Tom and Anna are riding their bikes next to or along the lake.

Why is the definite article het used before meer instead of de?

In Dutch, nouns have grammatical gender. The word meer (“lake”) is a neuter noun, which requires the neuter definite article het. This differs from common gender nouns that use de, so it’s important to remember that not all nouns take the same article in Dutch.