Ik luister aandachtig naar de uitleg.

I listen attentively to the explanation.

Breakdown of Ik luister aandachtig naar de uitleg.

• ik: I
• naar: to
• luisteren: to listen
• de uitleg: the explanation
• aandachtig: attentive

Questions & Answers about Ik luister aandachtig naar de uitleg.

What’s the difference between horen and luisteren?

horen means “to hear” in the sense of passive perception (you hear noises whether you want to or not). luisteren means “to listen,” i.e. actively directing your attention to a sound or someone speaking.
Example:
– Ik hoor muziek op de achtergrond. (I hear music in the background.)
– Ik luister naar de muziek. (I’m listening to the music.)

Why do we say luisteren naar de uitleg rather than simply luisteren de uitleg?

The verb luisteren requires the preposition naar when you specify the object of your listening. You always luister naar iets: naar muziek, naar de radio, naar een presentatie, naar de uitleg.

How do we know that uitleg uses de and not het?

uitleg is a common-gender noun (a “de-woord”). About three-quarters of Dutch nouns are common gender and take de. Unfortunately there’s no simple rule; you usually learn each noun’s article by practice or dictionary lookup.

Could we say een uitleg instead of de uitleg here?

Yes.
– Ik luister aandachtig naar een uitleg. (I’m listening attentively to an explanation—any explanation.)
Using de uitleg implies a specific explanation already known in context (for example the one the teacher just gave).

Why is aandachtig unchanged? Is it an adjective or an adverb?

Here aandachtig functions as an adverb (“attentively”). Dutch adverbs often have the same form as their adjective: you don’t add “-ly.” If you use it as an adjective before a noun, you do add -e: de aandachtige student.

Where do adverbs like aandachtig usually appear in a Dutch sentence?

In a main clause, a manner adverb typically comes immediately after the finite verb (and before objects or prepositional phrases). Hence Ik luister aandachtig naar de uitleg.

Why doesn’t the verb go to the end of the sentence as in some Germanic subordinate clauses?

This is a main clause, and Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb stands in second position (after the subject Ik). In subordinate clauses (introduced by omdat, als, dat, etc.) the verb does move to the end.