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Questions & Answers about Hij raakt de tafel licht aan.
Why is aan placed at the end of the sentence, instead of directly after raakt?
Because aanraken is a separable verb in Dutch. In main clauses, the verb stem (raakt) occupies the second position, while the separable prefix (aan) moves to the very end of the clause.
What is the infinitive (base form) of the verb in this sentence?
The base form is aanraken. In a subordinate clause you would see it together: “...om de tafel aan te raken.”
Why is de tafel placed between raakt and aan?
With separable verbs, any direct object normally follows the verb stem and precedes the detached prefix. So you get: raakt (verb stem) + de tafel (object) + aan (prefix).
Why is it de tafel and not het tafel?
Dutch nouns are divided into de-words and het-words. Tafel is a common gender noun, so it takes the article de.
Why is the verb form raakt and not raak?
In the present tense, third-person singular subjects (hij/zij/het) require the -t ending: ik raak, jij raakt, hij raakt.
Why isn’t licht inflected to lichte, like an adjective?
Here licht is an adverb of manner (meaning “lightly”). Adverbs in Dutch do not take adjectival endings—only adjectives before nouns do (e.g., een lichte aanraking).
Can I replace licht with other adverbs, for example lichtjes or zacht?
Yes. Hij raakt de tafel lichtjes aan (“he lightly touches”) or Hij raakt de tafel zacht aan (“he softly touches”) are both acceptable. Each carries a slightly different nuance.
How would I make this sentence negative? Where does niet go?
You insert niet before the separable prefix at the end: Hij raakt de tafel niet aan (“He does not touch the table”).
How do I form the simple past and past participle of aanraken?
Simple past: hij raakte de tafel aan.
Perfect tense with past participle: hij heeft de tafel aangeraakt. Note that in the participle the ge- goes between prefix and stem: aangeraakt.
How do I turn this into a question? Does aan move?
You invert subject and verb, but aan stays at the end.
Example: Raakt hij de tafel licht aan?