Breakdown of Ik laat mijn nieuwe helm in de winkel liggen, want hij is te groot.
ik
I
zijn
to be
groot
big
hij
he
in
in
nieuw
new
want
because
de winkel
the store
mijn
my
te
too
de helm
the helmet
laten liggen
to leave behind
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Questions & Answers about Ik laat mijn nieuwe helm in de winkel liggen, want hij is te groot.
What does laat … liggen mean in this sentence?
It’s a fixed verb combination: laten (to let/leave) + liggen (to lie). Together laten liggen means “to leave something where it is,” i.e. “to leave it behind.”
Why is liggen placed at the end of the clause?
In Dutch, when a main verb like laten takes a second verb (an infinitive), that second verb goes to the end of its clause. Hence Ik laat mijn helm in de winkel liggen.
Why do we say in de winkel and not op de winkel or bij de winkel?
in de winkel indicates the helmet stays inside the store. op de winkel would mean “on top of the store,” and bij de winkel means “near the store.”
Why is want used here instead of omdat?
want is a coordinating conjunction meaning “for” or “because,” connecting two independent clauses without changing the word order. If you used omdat (a subordinating conjunction), you’d have to send the verb to the end:
“Ik laat mijn helm in de winkel liggen omdat hij te groot is.”
What does te do in te groot?
te before an adjective means “too” (excessively). So te groot = “too big.” If you said erg groot, that would simply be “very big.”
Why is the pronoun hij used for helm?
In Dutch, every noun is either a de-word (common gender) or a het-word (neuter). helm is a de-word, so its subject pronoun is hij, not het.
Can I say Ik laat mijn nieuwe helm in de winkel achter instead?
Yes. The verb achterlaten also means “to leave behind.” You’d split it into laat … achter:
“Ik laat mijn nieuwe helm in de winkel achter.”
Why is laat in the present tense here and not past?
The present tense describes what you decide or do right now. If you wanted to talk about a completed action in the past, you’d use the perfect:
“Ik heb mijn nieuwe helm in de winkel laten liggen.”
What’s the difference between Ik laat mijn helm in de winkel liggen and Ik heb mijn helm in de winkel laten liggen?
- Ik laat … liggen (present): you are leaving it now or stating a habitual/current action.
- Ik heb … laten liggen (perfect): you are reporting that you have already left it behind (the action is finished).