Tom fietst vijf kilometer naar school.

Tom fietst vijf kilometer naar school.
Tom bikes five kilometers to school.
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Questions & Answers about Tom fietst vijf kilometer naar school.

What does fietst mean and how do you conjugate fietsen in the present tense?

fietst is the third-person singular (he/she/it) form of the verb fietsen, meaning “to cycle.” The present-tense conjugation is:

  • ik fiets (I cycle)
  • jij/je fietst (you cycle)
  • hij/zij/het fietst (he/she/it cycles)
  • wij/we fietsen (we cycle)
  • jullie fietsen (you all cycle)
  • zij fietsen (they cycle)
Why is kilometer singular after the number vijf?
In Dutch, when a unit of measure follows a numeral, the unit stays in the singular form. So you say vijf kilometer, drie liter, tien euro, etc., even though in English we add an s (five kilometers).
Why isn't there an article before vijf kilometer?
Numbers with units don’t take an article when expressing an amount or distance. You simply say vijf kilometer, not een vijf kilometer or de vijf kilometer, unless you’re referring to a specific stretch (e.g. die vijf kilometer).
What is the role of naar in naar school?
Naar is the Dutch equivalent of English to for destinations: “to school,” “to the station” (naar het station). It indicates direction toward a place.
Can you also say naar school toe?

Yes, adding toe is optional and adds emphasis or informality, especially in spoken Dutch:

  • Tom fietst vijf kilometer naar school toe.
    It carries the same meaning as without toe.
How does the word order in Dutch compare to English in this sentence?

The structure here is very similar to English:

  1. Subject: Tom
  2. Verb: fietst
  3. Manner/Measure: vijf kilometer
  4. Destination/Place: naar school

In English: “Tom cycles five kilometers to school.” Dutch, like English, places the measure before the place.

How would you ask “How far does Tom cycle to school?” in Dutch?

Use hoe ver (how far) and invert subject and verb:

  • Hoe ver fietst Tom naar school?
Can this sentence be put in the perfect tense?

Yes. You would use the auxiliary hebben plus the past participle gefietst:

  • Tom heeft vijf kilometer naar school gefietst.
    This means “Tom has cycled five kilometers to school.”
Is there a Dutch equivalent of the English progressive “is cycling”?

Dutch normally uses the simple present to cover both “cycles” and “is cycling.” If you want to stress the ongoing action, you can say:

  • Tom is aan het fietsen (Tom is cycling)
  • Tom is bezig te fietsen (Tom is busy cycling)