Het lek in de fietsband is klein.

to be

Breakdown of Het lek in de fietsband is klein.

• klein: small
• in: in
• het lek: the leak
• de fietsband: the bicycle tire

Questions & Answers about Het lek in de fietsband is klein.

Why do we say het lek instead of de lek?

In Dutch, lek is a neuter noun, so it takes the neuter definite article het. Nouns in Dutch can be common gender (taking de) or neuter (taking het). Unfortunately, there’s no simple rule to predict every word’s gender—you often have to memorize it or check a dictionary.

How can I tell that lek is a noun here and not the verb lekken (“to leak”)?

Two clues: 1) It’s preceded by the article het, which only goes with nouns. 2) The sentence structure is Het lek … is …, so lek is the subject noun, and is is the verb. If it were the verb lekken, you’d see a conjugation like lekken, lekt, etc., and no article.

Why is the adjective klein not kleine in this sentence?

klein is used predicatively (after the verb is). Predicative adjectives in Dutch never get an extra -e. Only attributive adjectives (those directly before a noun, as in een klein lek) change form:
• Attributive + indefinite neuter → een klein lek
• Attributive + definite (de or het) → het kleine huis, de kleine man

Could I also say “Er zit een klein lek in de fietsband”?

Yes! That’s a very common way to report the existence of a leak:
• Er zit een klein lek in de fietsband.
• Er is een klein lek in de fietsband.
Both mean “There is a small leak in the tire.”

Why is the preposition in used—could I say op de fietsband?

A puncture or leak is considered to be “in” the tube or tire material, so we use in. Saying op de fietsband would suggest something lying on the surface of the tire, not a hole through it.

What’s the difference between fietsband and binnenband?

• Fietsband usually refers to the whole tire (sometimes including the rubber outer and inner tube).
• Binnenband is specifically the inner tube.
  In everyday speech, people often say lek in de band or lek in de fietsband, even if technically it’s the inner tube.

Can I omit in de fietsband and just say “Het lek is klein”?

You could, but it sounds odd without context. “Het lek is klein” simply states “The leak is small,” but the listener might wonder, “Which leak? Where?” Adding in de fietsband tells exactly where the leak is located.

If I want to emphasize how small it is, can I say heel klein or zeer klein?

Yes:
• Het lek in de fietsband is heel klein. (very small)
• Het lek in de fietsband is zeer klein. (rather formal/“quite small”)
Both are correct; heel klein is more conversational, zeer klein a bit more formal.