Breakdown of Toen ik mijn winterjas vergat, had ik het heel koud.
ik
I
hebben
to have
heel
very
het
it
mijn
my
vergeten
to forget
toen
when
koud
cold
de winterjas
the winter coat
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Questions & Answers about Toen ik mijn winterjas vergat, had ik het heel koud.
Why is toen used here instead of als or wanneer?
In Dutch, toen introduces a single event in the past, equivalent to English “when” for past actions.
- Als is used for repeated events or hypothetical situations (“if/when this happens again”).
- Wanneer is more formal or used in questions.
Why does the verb vergat appear at the end of the first clause?
Dutch subordinate clauses (introduced by words like toen) require the finite verb at the end. So in Toen ik mijn winterjas vergat, vergat (past tense of vergeten) is pushed to the clause’s end.
Why is it had ik het heel koud instead of ik had het heel koud?
Because after a fronted subordinate clause (Toen ik…), the main clause inverts: the finite verb (had) comes before the subject (ik). This inversion is mandatory in Dutch when a subordinate clause starts the sentence.
Why is hebben used with koud, instead of zijn?
In Dutch you express sensations and many states with hebben. So you literally “have cold” (het koud hebben) rather than “be cold.” You see the same pattern in honger hebben (to be hungry) or hoofdpijn hebben (to have a headache).
What is the role of het in het koud hebben? Can it be omitted?
Het is part of the fixed expression het koud hebben. It’s an impersonal pronoun without a concrete antecedent. Omitting it (IK had koud) would be ungrammatical.
What’s the difference between heel koud, erg koud, and zeer koud?
All three intensify koud:
- heel koud is the most common, neutral way to say “very cold.”
- erg koud often carries the nuance “unpleasantly cold.”
- zeer koud is more formal or literary.
What is the infinitive of vergat, and how do you form its past tense?
Infinitive: vergeten (“to forget”). It’s a strong (irregular) verb:
- Past singular: vergat (ik vergat)
- Past participle: vergeten (ik heb het vergeten)
Why is winterjas written as one word?
Dutch compounds merge related nouns into a single word. Winterjas = winter + jas (“winter coat”). Unlike English, you don’t put a space between the elements.
How do you pronounce winterjas, especially the j?
- w sounds like English v.
- i as in “sit.”
- n, t as in English.
- er is a schwa-like sound.
- j is like the English “y” in “yes.”
Phonetically: /ˈʋɪn.tər.jɑs/.
Is the comma after Toen ik mijn winterjas vergat mandatory?
It’s recommended for clarity: when a subordinate clause precedes the main clause, you usually set it off with a comma. It isn’t strictly compulsory in very short sentences, but here it improves readability.