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Questions & Answers about Mijn stopcontact werkt niet.
What does stopcontact literally mean, and why is it written as one word?
Stopcontact is a compound noun made of stop (referring historically to a fuse) and contact (“connection” or “contact point”). In Dutch, it’s very common to join multiple words into a single noun without spaces or hyphens.
Which definite and indefinite articles go with stopcontact?
Stopcontact is a neuter noun (het-woord). The indefinite article is een stopcontact and the definite article is het stopcontact. When you use a possessive, you say mijn stopcontact (“my outlet”).
Why does niet come at the end of the sentence instead of before werkt?
In Dutch, the negation niet typically follows the verb (or verb phrase) when you’re negating the action itself. So you say mijn stopcontact werkt niet (“my outlet doesn’t work”). If you wanted to specifically negate another element (like an object), niet might appear earlier.
How is the verb werken conjugated here?
The infinitive is werken. For third-person singular (hij/zij/het), drop -en and add -t: werk + t = werkt. Hence het stopcontact werkt = “the outlet works.”
How do I turn this into a question: “Is my outlet not working?”
Invert the subject and the verb, and keep niet at the end: Werkt mijn stopcontact niet? If you need a formal you, use uw instead of mijn: Werkt uw stopcontact niet?
Are there any synonyms for stopcontact in Dutch?
Yes. In more technical or formal language you might see wandcontactdoos (literally “wall contact box”), but in everyday speech stopcontact is by far the most common.
Can I shorten mijn to m’n when speaking or writing informally?
Absolutely. In casual contexts people often write or say m’n stopcontact. In formal writing, however, stick with mijn.
How do you pronounce stopcontact, and where is the stress?
Pronounce it as [STOHP-kohn-takt], with the primary stress on the first syllable STOHP. Note that the Dutch p is unaspirated (no extra burst of air).