……
Breakdown of Een winnend idee geeft vertrouwen.
een
a, an
geven
to give
het idee
the idea
winnend
winning
het vertrouwen
the confidence
Questions & Answers about Een winnend idee geeft vertrouwen.
What part of speech is winnend in this sentence?
winnend is the present participle (the -end form) of the verb winnen (‘to win’). Here it’s used attributively, just like an adjective, to describe idee—literally “a winning idea.”
Why doesn’t winnend get an -e ending?
Dutch adjectives (including participles) normally take -e when they precede a noun. However, there’s an important exception: when an adjective comes before a singular indefinite neuter noun, it stays uninflected (no -e). Since idee is a neuter word (het-woord) with the indefinite article een, you write een winnend idee, not een winnende idee.
What is the gender of idee, and how do you know?
idee is a neuter noun. You can tell because its definite form is het idee, not de idee. Many Dutch dictionaries mark idee as het-woord, and loanwords from French (like idee) often turn out neuter.
How would you make the sentence plural?
- Pluralize idee to ideeën (note the trema on the second e).
- Inflect the participle-adjective: winnend → winnende.
- Adjust the verb for a plural subject: geeft → geven.
Result:
Winnende ideeën geven vertrouwen.
Why is there no article before vertrouwen?
Here vertrouwen (‘trust, confidence’) is used as an uncountable abstract noun—you’re speaking about confidence in general. In Dutch, uncountable or general abstract nouns typically appear without de, het or een.
What does vertrouwen mean in this context?
In this sentence vertrouwen means (a sense of) confidence or trust—the feeling you get when something makes you believe it will succeed.
How do I pronounce Een winnend idee geeft vertrouwen?
Approximate Dutch pronunciation (IPA and rough English hints):
- een [ən] – like the ‘u’ in supply
- winnend [ˈʋɪnənt] – ‘wi’ as in win, ‘nn’ lightly
- idee [iːˈdeː] – long ‘i’, stress on second syllable, ‘ee’ like ay
- geeft [ɣeːft] – Dutch throaty g, ‘ee’ as ay
- vertrouwen [vərˈtrɑu̯wə(n)] – ‘ver’ like ver in very, ‘trau’ like trout, ending ‘wen’
Stress pattern:
een WIN-nend i-DEE geeft ver-TRAU-wen
Are there any word order rules I should be aware of here?
This is a simple main clause following the Dutch V2 rule:
- Subject (Een winnend idee)
- Finite verb (geeft)
- Object (vertrouwen)
If you start with a different element (e.g. an adverb), the verb remains in second position and the subject moves after it:
Morgen geeft een winnend idee vertrouwen.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning DutchMaster Dutch — from Een winnend idee geeft vertrouwen to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions