Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Elke vrijdag ontvang ik een digitale nieuwsbrief van de bibliotheek.
What does Elke vrijdag mean?
It means every Friday and indicates that something happens each week on Friday.
Why is the verb ontvang placed before the subject ik in Elke vrijdag ontvang ik…?
In Dutch, when a time adverbial like Elke vrijdag starts the sentence, you must invert the subject and the verb. That’s why it’s ontvang ik instead of the usual ik ontvang. This is called subject–verb inversion.
Could I also say Ik ontvang elke vrijdag een digitale nieuwsbrief van de bibliotheek?
Yes. Placing ik first uses the normal subject–verb–object order. Both versions are correct; beginning with Elke vrijdag simply emphasises the weekly routine.
Why is digitale ending with -e in een digitale nieuwsbrief?
Adjectives in Dutch take an -e (weak inflection) when they follow an article (de or een) and modify a de-word. Since nieuwsbrief is a de-word and you have een, the adjective becomes digitale.
Why do we use een digitale nieuwsbrief instead of de digitale nieuwsbrief?
Een is the indefinite article meaning a, referring to any digital newsletter in general. De digitale nieuwsbrief would be definite—the digital newsletter—implying a specific one known to both speaker and listener.
What is the function of van in van de bibliotheek, and could I use uit instead?
Here van means from, indicating the source or sender (the library). Although uit can sometimes translate as out of/from, van de bibliotheek is the natural choice when saying you receive something sent by an institution.
Can I replace ontvang with krijg?
Yes. Ontvangen means to receive (more formal), and krijgen means to get (more colloquial). Both convey the same idea in this context.
Could I say elektronische nieuwsbrief instead of digitale nieuwsbrief?
Absolutely. Both digitaal and elektronisch imply delivery via electronic means. Digitale nieuwsbrief is very common, but elektronische nieuwsbrief works just as well.