Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Dutch grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ik begrijp het systeem niet.
Why is het used as the article before systeem instead of de?
In Dutch every noun has either common gender (takes de) or neuter (takes het). The word systeem is neuter, so it requires het.
What grammatical role does het systeem play in this sentence?
The phrase het systeem is the direct object of the verb begrijp. It answers the question “What do I (not) understand?” which in this case is the system.
Why is niet placed at the end of the sentence?
In Dutch, the negation niet usually comes after the direct object or, if there’s no object, at the very end of the clause. Here the object het systeem precedes niet.
How is the verb begrijp formed from the infinitive begrijpen?
To conjugate a regular Dutch verb in the present tense for ik, you drop -en from the infinitive (begrijpen) and do not add -t. So begrijpen → begrijp when used with ik.
Can I use snap instead of begrijp here? What’s the difference?
Yes, you can say Ik snap het systeem niet. snappen is more colloquial and literally means to snap or to get. begrijpen is slightly more formal and closer to to comprehend.
Is begrijpen a separable verb in Dutch?
No. begrijpen is inseparable, which means you never split it into be + grijp in a sentence.
What is the word order rule in a simple Dutch main clause like this?
Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (here begrijp) must be in second position. You have ik (subject) first, begrijp second, then the object, and then niet.
How do you pronounce systeem?
You pronounce it roughly as sis-TAYM, with the stress on the second syllable. In IPA it’s [sɪsˈteːm].
If I want to say this system instead of the system, do I change the article or demonstrative?
Yes. Since systeem is neuter, you use dit instead of deze. So this system becomes dit systeem, and the sentence would be Ik begrijp dit systeem niet.