Learn Hardcore Dutch: In de oude schuur voelt alles stoffig aan. - In the old shed, everything feels dusty.

In Dutch, aanvoelen is a separable verb meaning “to sense” or “to feel (by touch or impression).” In a main clause the prefix aan detaches and moves to the end of the sentence. So voelt alles stoffig aan literally reassembles aanvoelen, giving “everything feels dusty.”

Why does oude take an -e ending before schuur?

Attributive adjectives in Dutch add -e when they precede a noun with a definite article (de, het) or a demonstrative. Since schuur is a de-word and we have de schuur, oud becomes oude: de oude schuur.

Why isn’t there a comma after In de oude schuur?

Dutch doesn’t require a comma after an initial adverbial of place, time or manner. Instead you follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb (voelt) comes directly after the first constituent.

What part of speech is stoffig here, and why doesn’t it change form?

Stoffig is an adjective functioning as a predicative complement to voelen. Predicative adjectives in Dutch don’t take extra endings or agree in gender/number—they remain in their base form.

Could you also say In de oude schuur is alles stoffig instead?

Yes, Alles is stoffig is correct and means “everything is dusty.” But voelt … aan adds a sensory nuance: you’re describing how it strikes your senses, not just stating a fact.

Why is alles treated as singular?

Alles means “everything” and is grammatically singular in Dutch, so it takes the singular verb form voelt.

When would aanvoelt be written together instead of splitting it?

You only write aanvoelen together in non‐main clauses or infinitive forms, for example: Ik wil alles aanvoelen (infinitive) or dat ik alles aanvoel (subordinate clause). In a main clause with a conjugated verb, the prefix goes to the end.

Does schuur mean “barn” or “shed”?

Schuur can mean either “barn” or “shed” depending on context. Here oude schuur suggests an old storage building, so both translations are possible: “old barn” or “old shed.”