Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Start learning Dutch now
Questions & Answers about De plant op de vensterbank heeft de hele dag genoeg licht kunnen krijgen, waardoor hij er fris uitziet.
Why is op de vensterbank translated as “on the windowsill,” and why is op used here?
In Dutch, op denotes position on a horizontal surface or platform. A vensterbank (windowsill) is treated like a small shelf, so you say op de vensterbank (“on the windowsill”). Other prepositions like in (“in”) or aan (“at”) wouldn’t fit the idea of being physically on top of that ledge.
How does the perfect tense with the modal verb work in heeft de hele dag genoeg licht kunnen krijgen?
When you combine a perfect tense with a modal (here kunnen), Dutch uses a double infinitive construction. The formula is:
- Auxiliary hebben (here heeft)
- Any objects or adverbials (“de hele dag genoeg licht”)
- Modal infinitive (kunnen) + main infinitive (krijgen)
You never say heeft kunnen gekregen; it’s always heeft ... kunnen krijgen. It literally means “has been able to get ...”
Why is de hele dag placed before genoeg licht, and could you move it?
De hele dag is a temporal adverbial (“all day long”). Dutch word order allows some flexibility, but a common pattern is: Subject – Verb – Temporal – Object – Rest of verb phrase. So:
De plant heeft de hele dag genoeg licht kunnen krijgen.
You could also say:
De plant heeft genoeg licht kunnen krijgen de hele hele dag,
or put de hele dag at the very beginning for emphasis:
De hele dag heeft de plant genoeg licht kunnen krijgen.
Why is waardoor used to link the two clauses instead of omdat or simply en?
Waardoor is a relative adverb meaning “through which” or “as a result of which.” It connects the effect–result relationship:
– Clause 1: the plant got enough light.
– Clause 2: as a result, it looks fresh.
Omdat would introduce a reason clause (“because”), which is slightly different in nuance, and en would just coordinate without expressing cause or effect.
Why is the pronoun hij used for de plant rather than het?
In Dutch, nouns of the “common” gender (the so-called de-words) take hij (or die) as the personal pronoun. Since plant is a de-woord, we refer back to it with hij. If it were a het-woord, we’d use het.
What is the role of er in hij er fris uitziet?
Here er is not the locative “there,” but a fixed placeholder in the construction er + adjective + uitzien meaning “to look/appear [adjective].” You cannot drop er from hij (er) fris uitziet; it’s part of the verb phrase “uitzien” (to look).
Why is the verb uitziet at the end of the subordinate clause?
In Dutch subordinate clauses (introduced by words like waardoor), the finite verb moves to the very end. Also, uitzien is a separable verb, but in subordinate clauses the parts stay together (uitzien) and go behind the subject and any objects or adverbials: waardoor hij er fris uitziet.
Why is fris used to describe a plant? Doesn’t it mean fresh as in food?
Fris can mean “fresh,” “vigorous,” or “crisp” in a visual sense. So for a plant, fris implies it looks healthy, turgid, not wilted. It doesn’t refer to taste here but to the refreshing, lively appearance of the leaves.
Why is genoeg placed before licht rather than after?
When genoeg quantifies a noun (“enough light”), it precedes that noun: genoeg licht. If you use genoeg to modify an adjective or adverb, it comes after: fris genoeg (“fresh enough”).
