Ik spaar munten uit verschillende landen in een klein doosje.

I collect coins from different countries in a little box.

Breakdown of Ik spaar munten uit verschillende landen in een klein doosje.

• ik: I
• in: in
• een: a, an
• uit: from
• klein: little
• verschillend: different
• het land: the country
• de munt: the coin
• sparen: to collect
• het doosje: the box

Questions & Answers about Ik spaar munten uit verschillende landen in een klein doosje.

Why does sparen here mean “to collect” rather than “to save”?

In Dutch sparen can mean both “to save (money)” and “to collect (items over time).”

• When you say Ik spaar geld, it means “I’m saving money.”
• When you say Ik spaar munten, it means “I’m collecting coins” (by gradually adding new ones to your collection).

What exactly is munten, and what’s its singular form?

munten is the plural of munt, which means “coin.”

• Singular: de munt (“a coin”)
• Plural: de munten (“coins”)

You might also hear muntje (“little coin”) as the diminutive of munt, with plural muntjes.

Why is the preposition uit used in uit verschillende landen instead of van?

• uit emphasizes origin: “coming out of” or “originating from” various countries.
• van often indicates possession or a more general “from.”

In practice both can work (“munten van verschillende landen”), but uit feels more natural when talking about the geographic origin of coins.

Why is there no article before verschillende landen?

No article means “various countries” in a general sense.

• uit verschillende landen = “from various countries” (unspecified which ones)
• If you said uit de verschillende landen, it would mean “from the (specific) various countries” already mentioned or defined.

Why does verschillende have an -e ending here?

Adjectives in Dutch take an -e when they stand before:

1. Any plural noun (definite or indefinite)
2. A singular common-gender noun with any article
   In verschillende landen you have an indefinite plural, so the adjective gets -e.

Why is it een klein doosje and not een kleine doosje?

doosje is a diminutive, always neuter (het-word). The rules say:

• Indefinite singular neuter nouns use the plain adjective form (no -e).
• Indefinite singular common nouns and all plurals take the -e.

Hence een klein doosje (no -e on klein).

What does the diminutive suffix -je in doosje do to the meaning?

Adding -je to doos (“box”) makes it doosje, literally “small box” or “boxlet.” It often conveys small size or a sense of endearment.

Why is the phrase in een klein doosje placed at the end of the sentence?

Dutch basic word order is Subject-Verb-Object, then adverbials (time, manner, place). Here:

1. Subject: Ik
2. Verb: spaar
3. Object: munten uit verschillende landen (object + its modifier)
4. Adverbial of place: in een klein doosje

Putting the storage location at the end keeps modifiers next to what they modify.

Could I use verzamelen instead of sparen, and is there a nuance?

Yes. verzamelen simply means “to gather or collect.”

• munten verzamelen = “to collect coins” (neutral)
• munten sparen adds the nuance of “saving up/accumulating them over time.”

Can I move in een klein doosje to another position for emphasis?

You can, but it will feel marked or poetic:

• In een klein doosje spaar ik munten uit verschillende landen.
  This front-focus emphasizes the box. The neutral, everyday order keeps it at the end.