Questions & Answers about Het gevaar is groot in het donkere bos.
Why is het used before gevaar and not de?
Gevaar is a neuter noun in Dutch, so it takes the definite article het. Unfortunately there isn’t a fool-proof rule for every noun—you generally have to learn the article with each word or use a dictionary. As a guideline, diminutives (ending in -je) are always het, and many abstract nouns like het gevaar, het geluk, het leven are het, but there are exceptions.
Why is the adjective groot not grote in het gevaar is groot?
When an adjective follows a linking verb like zijn (to be), it is used predicatively and stays in its base form (no -e). If you place that same adjective before a definite noun, it becomes grote (e.g. het grote gevaar).
Why does donkere have an -e ending in het donkere bos?
That’s an attributive adjective (it directly modifies the noun before it). In Dutch, any adjective before a definite noun (with de or het) takes -e, regardless of gender or number. So donker becomes donkere in het donkere bos.
Can I move in het donkere bos to the beginning of the sentence?