De postbode zet het pakket in de schuur.

The mailman puts the package in the shed.

Breakdown of De postbode zet het pakket in de schuur.

• in: in
• de schuur: the shed
• zetten: to put
• het pakket: the package
• de postbode: the mailman

Questions & Answers about De postbode zet het pakket in de schuur.

Why do we use de before postbode and het before pakket?

Dutch has two definite articles: de for common-gender nouns and het for neuter nouns. postbode is common gender (de postbode), while pakket is neuter (het pakket). You just have to learn each noun’s gender.

What function does in de schuur serve in this sentence?

in de schuur is a prepositional phrase indicating location (it answers “where?”). It tells us where the postman places the package. “Schuur” (shed) is common gender, hence de schuur.

Why is the preposition in used here, and not op or naar?

• in (into) denotes entering or ending up inside an enclosed space.
• op (on) would mean “on top of” the shed’s roof.
• naar (towards) focuses on movement to a place rather than positioning; you’d say brengt het pakket naar de schuur (“brings the package to the shed”).

What’s the difference between zetten and leggen?

Both can mean “to put,” but:

• zetten implies placing something upright or setting it in position.
• leggen implies laying something down flat.
  Here, zetten is appropriate if the package remains upright or simply “placed.”

What tense and form is zet?

zet is the present‐tense, third‐person singular form of zetten (he/she/it puts). In Dutch, verbs in the present for hij/zij/het typically have no ending: zet.

Why is the word order De postbode zet het pakket in de schuur.? Wouldn’t English say “puts in the shed the package”?

Dutch main‐clause word order is Subject–Verb–Object–Adverbial. So:

1. Subject De postbode
2. Verb zet
3. Object het pakket
4. Adverbial/Prepositional phrase in de schuur

English also uses SVO, but positions the adverbial differently at times.

How do you replace het pakket with a pronoun?

Since pakket is neuter, you use the neuter object pronoun het. The sentence becomes:
“De postbode zet het in de schuur.”

Can you use a diminutive for schuur, and does its article change?

Yes. schuurtje (“little shed”) is neuter, so it takes het:
“De postbode zet het pakket in het schuurtje.”

Is postbode the only word for “mail carrier” in Dutch?

No. You’ll also hear postbezorger. Both are common‐gender nouns (take de), and both mean “mail carrier” or “postman.” You can say:
“De postbezorger zet het pakket in de schuur.”