Breakdown of Dat schilderij toont de natuur in de herfst.
in
in
dat
that
tonen
to show
de herfst
the autumn
het schilderij
the painting
de natuur
the nature
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Questions & Answers about Dat schilderij toont de natuur in de herfst.
Why is dat used before schilderij instead of die?
In Dutch, demonstratives agree with the grammatical gender/article of the noun they modify. Nouns with the neuter article het (het-woorden) take dat, while nouns with the common article de (de-woorden) take die. Schilderij is a neuter noun (het schilderij), so the correct demonstrative is dat.
What part of speech is dat in this sentence?
Here dat functions as a demonstrative determiner (similar to English “that”), directly modifying the noun schilderij to point out which painting is meant.
Why is de used before natuur?
Natuur is a common‐gender noun in Dutch (de-woord), so it requires the definite article de. There is no neuter article het for natuur.
Why is toont placed immediately after dat schilderij?
Dutch is a V2 (verb‐second) language in main clauses: the finite verb (toont) must occupy the second position. The first position here is filled by the subject phrase dat schilderij, so toont follows it.
What is the meaning of toont, and how does it differ from laat zien?
Toont is the third‐person singular present of tonen, meaning “shows” or “exhibits.”
- tonen is slightly more formal and often found in writing or art descriptions.
- laten zien is a phrasal verb also meaning “to show,” but it’s more colloquial. You could say Dat schilderij laat de natuur in de herfst zien with essentially the same meaning.
Why is the preposition in used with de herfst? Could you use op or drop the article?
Seasons in Dutch generally take in + definite article: in de lente, in de zomer, in de herfst, in de winter.
- Op is used for days and dates (e.g., op maandag, op 1 mei), not for seasons.
- You cannot drop de here; in herfst would be ungrammatical.
Why is herfst not capitalized?
In Dutch, seasons are common nouns and are not capitalized. You write de herfst, de winter, de zomer, de lente, all lowercase.
Could you combine natuur and herfst into one word like herfstnatuur?
Yes, compound nouns are common in Dutch. herfstnatuur (fall nature) is possible, especially in contexts like magazine titles or thematic headings. In a simple descriptive sentence, though, keeping them separate (natuur in de herfst) is more natural.