Breakdown of Tom vindt een munt in zijn jaszak.
Tom
Tom
in
in
zijn
his
vinden
to find
de jaszak
the jacket pocket
de munt
the coin
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Questions & Answers about Tom vindt een munt in zijn jaszak.
Why is the verb vindt spelled with an extra -t at the end?
In Dutch, for the present tense with hij/zij/het (third person singular), you take the verb stem (vind) and add -t. So:
- ik vind
- jij vindt (or vind in informal speech)
- hij/zij/het vindt
Why does the finite verb vindt appear in second position in the sentence?
Dutch is a V2-language in main clauses: the finite verb must occupy the second slot. Here, Tom is first, vindt is second, and then you have the rest of the sentence.
Why is the article een used instead of de before munt?
een is the indefinite article (“a/an”) and is used for something new or not previously mentioned. You’d use de (“the”) only if you’re referring to a specific, known coin.
Why is munt singular here? Could you ever make it plural?
Tom finds exactly one coin, so it’s singular. If he found more, you’d say Tom vindt munten in zijn jaszak (munten = coins).
What does jaszak mean, and why is it written as one word?
It’s a compound noun: jas (coat) + zak (pocket) = jaszak (coat pocket). Dutch frequently joins related nouns into a single word.
Why isn’t there a hyphen or linking letter in jaszak?
Most Dutch compounds join directly without hyphens or extra letters. Only some use a linking vowel or consonant (e.g. petekind, noord-oost). jaszak is simply written as one word.
Why do we use zijn instead of something else before jaszak?
zijn is the possessive pronoun for “his.” In Dutch, like in English, a possessive stays directly in front of the noun: zijn jaszak = his coat pocket.
Why is the preposition in used rather than op, aan, or something else?
You find something inside a pocket, so you use in. op would mean “on” (on the surface of), aan would mean “at” or “attached to.” Neither fits here.
Can the word order change, for example: Tom vindt in zijn jaszak een munt?
Yes. As long as the finite verb stays second, you can swap the object and the adverbial phrase:
- Tom vindt een munt in zijn jaszak.
- Tom vindt in zijn jaszak een munt. Both are correct, though the first is more common.