Breakdown of Morgen ga ik naar de groentenafdeling in de supermarkt.
ik
I
gaan
to go
morgen
tomorrow
naar
to
in
in
de supermarkt
the supermarket
de groentenafdeling
the vegetable section
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Questions & Answers about Morgen ga ik naar de groentenafdeling in de supermarkt.
Why is the conjugated verb ga placed before the subject ik in this sentence?
Dutch main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second position. Since Morgen is the first element, ga comes next, pushing ik into third place.
Can I also say Ik ga morgen naar de groentenafdeling in de supermarkt and keep the same meaning?
Yes. If you start with the subject, it occupies the first slot and the finite verb stays in second position. The sentence Ik ga morgen naar de groentenafdeling in de supermarkt is perfectly natural and identical in meaning.
Why is groentenafdeling written as one word instead of two?
Dutch combines multiple nouns into a single compound word. Groentenafdeling merges groenten (vegetables) + afdeling (department) into one noun, as is standard in Dutch orthography.
What’s the purpose of the -en in groentenafdeling?
That -en is a linking element (tussenvorm), often echoing the plural of the first noun. It connects groente + afdeling smoothly. Many Dutch compounds use -en between the parts.
Why do we use naar de before groentenafdeling, but in de before supermarkt?
Naar expresses movement toward a destination (“to the vegetables section”), whereas in indicates location (“in the supermarket”). Here the supermarket is the place that contains the department.
Why are both groentenafdeling and supermarkt accompanied by de, not het?
Every Dutch noun is either a de-word or a het-word. Nouns ending in -ing (like afdeling) are always de, and supermarkt is lexicalized as a de-word. You generally have to learn each noun’s article or consult a dictionary.
Why is Morgen capitalized in the sentence?
In Dutch only proper nouns are capitalized within a sentence. Words like morgen (meaning “tomorrow”) are normally lower-case—but the first word of any sentence is automatically capitalized.
How do I pronounce groentenafdeling?
Roughly like /ˈɣrun.təˌɑf.də.lɪŋ/. Stress usually falls on the first part: GROEN-te-AF-de-ling.