Breakdown of Tom rekent de kosten voor het feest uit.
Tom
Tom
voor
for
het feest
the party
uitrekenen
to calculate
de kosten
the costs
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Questions & Answers about Tom rekent de kosten voor het feest uit.
What does the verb uitrekenen mean and how does it work here?
It’s a separable verb meaning to calculate or to work out. In a main clause, the verb stem (rekenen) stays in second position and the prefix (uit) moves to the end: Tom rekent ... uit.
Why is uit at the end of the sentence?
In Dutch main clauses with separable verbs, the prefix always goes to the clause‐final position when the verb is conjugated. So the prefix uit detaches from rekenen and is placed at the very end.
Why do we use de kosten in the plural, not a singular form?
The noun kosten only exists in the plural in Dutch; there is no singular kost. Therefore you always use de (the plural definite article).
What role does voor het feest play in the sentence?
Voor het feest is a prepositional phrase meaning for the party. It specifies the purpose or context of the costs: “the costs for the party.”
How do we know rekent takes a -t ending?
In the present tense, third person singular (he/she/it), Dutch verbs add -t to the stem: reken + t = rekent.
Could we say Tom rekent uit de kosten voor het feest instead?
No. Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (rekent) stays in second position. The separable prefix (uit) must go to the end, not directly after the verb.
What’s the difference between uitrekenen and berekenen?
- Uitrekenen often implies calculating something through or finishing a calculation, sometimes manually.
- Berekenen is a more general term for calculating or computing, often used in technical or formal contexts. They can overlap, but uitrekenen emphasises the process of working it out.
How would you write this sentence in the perfect tense?
You use uitrekenen in the past participle form (uitgerekend) and the auxiliary hebben:
Tom heeft de kosten voor het feest uitgerekend.