Breakdown of Anna draagt een gloednieuwe blouse die licht en luchtig aanvoelt.
Anna
Anna
en
and
die
that
een
a, an
dragen
to wear
aanvoelen
to feel
gloednieuw
brand-new
de blouse
the blouse
licht
light
luchtig
airy
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Questions & Answers about Anna draagt een gloednieuwe blouse die licht en luchtig aanvoelt.
What does gloednieuw mean, and why is it spelled gloednieuwe before blouse?
gloednieuw is a compound of gloed (“glow”) + nieuw (“new”) that means “brand-new.” In Dutch, when an adjective comes before a noun it usually takes an -e ending (this is called inflection). Therefore gloednieuw becomes gloednieuwe blouse.
Why is the relative pronoun die used here instead of dat?
Dutch has two families of nouns: de-words (common gender) and het-words (neuter).
- For de-words (like blouse), the relative pronoun is die (singular and plural).
- For het-words, the pronoun would be dat.
Since blouse is a de-word, we use die.
What is the verb aanvoelen, and why does it appear as aanvoelt at the end of the clause?
aanvoelen is a separable verb meaning “to feel (by touch)” or “to feel like” (in terms of texture or impression).
- In a main clause, you separate it: “Anna voelt de blouse àán.”
- In a subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun (die), the entire verb stays together and moves to the end: “die licht en luchtig aanvoelt.”
Why is the word order licht en luchtig aanvoelt instead of aanvoelt licht en luchtig?
In Dutch subordinate clauses, the finite verb always goes to the very end. Modifiers (here licht and luchtig) come before the verb. Hence you get:
licht en luchtig aanvoelt
(and not aanvoelt licht en luchtig).
What’s the difference between licht and luchtig, since both can translate as “light”?
- licht ≈ low in weight; not heavy.
- luchtig ≈ airy or breathable; suggests an open, loose structure.
Together (licht en luchtig) they emphasize that the blouse feels both lightweight and airy.
Why is the indefinite article een used here, and what if I say de gloednieuwe blouse instead?
- een gloednieuwe blouse = “a brand-new blouse” (introducing it for the first time, nonspecific).
- de gloednieuwe blouse = “the brand-new blouse” (referring to a specific, already known or contextually obvious garment).
Could you use nieuwe instead of gloednieuwe, and how would that change the meaning?
Yes.
- nieuwe blouse simply means “new blouse.”
- gloednieuwe blouse adds extra emphasis: “brand-new blouse,” implying it’s just been bought or never worn before.