Questions & Answers about Anna en Tom verkennen het bos.
Why is the verb verkennen not split into ver + kennen like some other Dutch verbs?
Because verkennen is an inseparable verb. The prefix ver- stays attached to the stem in every tense; you never move it to the end of the sentence.
How do you conjugate verkennen in the present tense, and why do we see verkennen instead of verkent here?
In Dutch present tense:
- Ik verken
- Jij verkent (or verken jij? in questions)
- Hij/zij/het verkent
- Wij/jullie/zij verkennen
Since Anna en Tom is a plural subject (zij), you use the infinitive form verkennen.
Why doesn’t this sentence use a preposition like in or op before het bos? Shouldn’t you “explore in the forest”?
Verkennen is a transitive verb taking a direct object. You can explore something directly, so no preposition is needed. If you want to stress the location, you could say Anna en Tom verkennen in het bos, but normally you just say verkennen het bos.
Why is it het bos and not de bos?