Learn Hardcore Dutch: Houd deze notitie privé in je map. - Keep this note private in your folder.

Houd is the imperative form of houden (“to keep” or “to hold”). The imperative is used to give commands or instructions. For the familiar “jij,” you drop the “-en” ending of the infinitive and you get houd.

Why is deze used instead of dit before notitie?

Dutch demonstratives agree in gender (common vs. neuter) and number. Notitie is a common‐gender noun (a “de‐word”), so you use deze. Dit is reserved for singular neuter nouns (a “het‐word”).

What role does privé play here, and why is it written with an accent?

Privé is a loanword from French meaning “private.” In this sentence it functions adverbially (“keep it private”). The accent on the é shows the stress on that vowel and preserves the original French spelling; omitting it would be incorrect in Dutch.

Could you say Houd deze notitie privé in jouw map instead of je map?

Yes. Jouw is the stressed possessive (“your”), used for emphasis or contrast. Je is the unstressed, more neutral form, very common in speech. Both are grammatically correct.

Why is it in je map rather than op je map?

In Dutch, you place items in a folder (map), not on it. Op is used for surfaces (e.g., op de tafel), whereas a folder is considered a container, so you use in.

Does notitie have a gender, and how does that affect the sentence?

Yes. Notitie is a “de‐word” (common gender). The gender determines the correct demonstrative (deze vs. dit) and which definite article you’d use (de, not het), though here you don’t need the article because you use a demonstrative.

Can you explain the word order in Houd deze notitie privé in je map?

Imperative clauses in Dutch put the verb first, then the direct object (deze notitie), then any adverbial element (privé), and finally the prepositional phrase (in je map). This order is natural and clear, though in some cases you could swap adverbials for emphasis.