Breakdown of De ober schenkt koud kraanwater in ons glas.
ons
our
koud
cold
de ober
the waiter
in
into
schenken
to pour
het kraanwater
the tap water
het glas
the glass
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Questions & Answers about De ober schenkt koud kraanwater in ons glas.
Why is the verb schenkt spelled with a t at the end?
In Dutch, most verbs add -t in the present tense when the subject is hij/zij/het (third person singular). The infinitive schenken has the stem schenk-, so with hij/zij/het it becomes schenkt.
Why is there in at the end of the sentence instead of right after schenken?
The verb here is the separable verb inschenken (to pour into/serve a drink). In a main clause, the prefix in detaches and moves to the end: schenkt … in.
What’s the difference between inschenken and gieten?
Inschenken (in + schenken) specifically means “to pour into something” or “to serve drinks.” Gieten is a more general word for “to pour” (often heavier liquids or watering plants). To serve someone water at a table, Dutch speakers nearly always use inschenken.
Why is it koud kraanwater and not koude kraanwater?
When an adjective precedes an indefinite, singular, neuter noun (and uncountable nouns like water count as indefinite), it remains in the basic form without -e. Since kraanwater here is treated as an indefinite neuter noun, you say koud kraanwater, not koude kraanwater.
Why is kraanwater one word instead of two?
Dutch compounds are always written as a single word. You combine kraan (tap) + water into kraanwater.
Why is it ons glas and not onze glas?
Possessive pronouns follow the same pattern as articles: onze before de-words and ons before het-words. Because het glas is a neuter noun, it takes ons: ons glas.
What does de ober mean, and is it only used for male servers?
De ober literally means “the waiter” or “server.” Traditionally it referred to a male, but nowadays people often say ober for any server, male or female. You might also hear serveerster (female server) or kelner, but ober is the most common everyday term.
Why is the phrase in ons glas placed after koud kraanwater?
Dutch main‐clause word order is Subject–Verb–Object–Adverbials. In ons glas is a locational adverbial (indicating “where”), so it naturally follows the direct object koud kraanwater.