Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ik vertrouw Anna niet.
Why is niet placed at the end of the sentence and not directly after vertrouw?
In Dutch, when you negate a verb with a direct object, niet normally comes after the object. Here Anna is the object, so you say Ik vertrouw Anna niet. If there were no object, niet would follow the verb (e.g., Ik spreek niet).
How do you conjugate the verb vertrouwen in the present tense?
vertrouwen is a regular weak verb. Its present‐tense forms are:
- ik vertrouw
- jij/je vertrouwt
- hij/zij/het vertrouwt
- wij/we vertrouwen
- jullie vertrouwen
- zij/ze vertrouwen
Note that the stem is vertrouw- (infinitive minus -en), and you add -t for second and third person singular.
When would I use geen instead of niet?
Use geen to negate indefinite nouns (with een): e.g. Ik heb geen boek (I don’t have a book). Use niet to negate verbs, adjectives, adverbs or definite nouns and proper names. Since Anna is a proper name, you always use niet: Ik vertrouw Anna niet.
What’s the difference between vertrouwen and geloven?
- vertrouwen = to trust, to have faith in someone’s reliability or honesty.
- geloven = to believe, to accept something as true.
Example:
- Ik vertrouw je niet → I don’t trust you (I doubt your reliability).
- Ik geloof je niet → I don’t believe you (I doubt what you’re saying is true).
Do I need a preposition like in or op before Anna?
No preposition is needed when vertrouwen takes a direct object. You simply say Ik vertrouw Anna. However, you can use op with the noun vertrouwen or in expressions like op iemand vertrouwen (“to count on someone”). E.g.:
- Verb form: Ik vertrouw Anna niet.
- Noun form: Ik heb geen vertrouwen in Anna (I have no trust in Anna).
How would I say “I don’t trust her” using a pronoun?
Replace the name with the object pronoun haar:
- Ik vertrouw haar niet.
How do you form the question “Do you trust Anna?”
Use inversion (verb first):
- Vertrouw je Anna?
If you want more emphasis on you, you can say Vertrouw jij Anna?.
Is vertrouwen an irregular verb?
No, it’s a regular (weak) verb. Its stem is vertrouw-, and you form past tense and past participle in the standard way:
- Past tense: vertrouwde (ik vertrouwde)
- Past participle: vertouwd (ik heb vertrouwd)