Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about De appel valt van de tafel.
Why is the definite article used before appel and tafel, and how do I know whether to use de or het?
Dutch has two definite articles: de for common-gender nouns and het for neuter nouns. Both appel (apple) and tafel (table) are common-gender, so they take de. There’s no simple rule to predict gender, so learners often memorize each noun with its article or check a dictionary.
Why is the verb valt used here instead of val or vallen?
The base verb is vallen (to fall). In the present tense you conjugate it as:
• Ik val
• Jij valt
• Hij/zij/het valt
For the third-person singular (the apple), you use the stem val- plus -t, giving valt. Dutch also requires the finite verb in second position in a main clause.
Why is the word order De appel valt van de tafel and not something like Valt de appel van de tafel?
In Dutch main clauses the finite verb must occupy the second slot (V2 word order). Here De appel is the first element, so valt comes second. If you swap them, you turn it into a question: Valt de appel van de tafel?
Why is van de tafel used instead of op de tafel, and what does van mean here?
Op de tafel means “on the table,” indicating where something is located. Van de tafel means “from the table,” indicating movement off the table. Since the apple is falling off, you use van (from/off). Saying valt op de tafel would mean it’s falling onto the table.
Can I say De appel valt van de tafel af or De appel valt eraf instead?
Yes. Dutch has the separable verb afvallen (to fall off). When you name the object, you separate the prefix: De appel valt van de tafel af. You can also replace van de tafel with er and say De appel valt eraf (“The apple falls off [it]”). Simply saying De appel valt van de tafel is also correct and very common.
What’s the difference between van and vanaf in this sentence?
Both mean “from,” but vanaf (one word) often emphasizes the starting point in time or space. You could say De appel valt vanaf de tafel, especially if you add a landing place (e.g. “op de grond”). In everyday speech, though, van de tafel is the straightforward choice for spatial origin.
How do I make this sentence plural or talk about apples in general?
To pluralize: De appels vallen van de tafel (“The apples fall from the table”). For a general statement, you can drop the article in the plural: Appels vallen van de tafel means “Apples fall off tables” in general. Use de when you refer to specific apples or tables.