Ik maak de keuken grondig schoon.

I clean the kitchen thoroughly.

Breakdown of Ik maak de keuken grondig schoon.

• ik: I
• de keuken: the kitchen
• schoonmaken: to clean
• grondig: thoroughly

Questions & Answers about Ik maak de keuken grondig schoon.

What is the infinitive of maak in Ik maak de keuken grondig schoon, and how is it conjugated here?

The infinitive is schoonmaken (“to clean”). In the present tense for ik, you use the stem maak and split off the prefix schoon, placing it at the end of the clause. So ik maak literally means “I make,” and schoon finishes the separable verb: “I clean.”

Why is schoonmaken split into maak ... schoon, and is that typical in Dutch?

Yes. schoonmaken is a separable verb: the main verb plus a particle. In main clauses the particle (schoon) moves to the end. You’ll see this pattern with many verbs, for example opruimen → Ik ruim de kamer op (“I tidy the room up”).

What role does grondig play, and why is it positioned before schoon?

Grondig is an adverb meaning “thoroughly.” It modifies the cleaning action. In Dutch, adverbs typically come before the separable prefix, so you get grondig schoon—literally “thoroughly clean.” Placing it elsewhere (e.g. Ik maak grondig de keuken schoon) sounds less natural.

Why is it de keuken (the kitchen) instead of een keuken (a kitchen)?

Using de keuken implies a specific kitchen the speaker has in mind (for example, their own kitchen at home). If you said een keuken, it would sound like you’re cleaning some unspecified or any kitchen, which is less common when talking about your own.

How do you express “I am cleaning the kitchen thoroughly” (present progressive) in Dutch?

Dutch doesn’t have a direct equivalent of English continuous tense, but you can use the aan het construction:
• Ik ben de keuken grondig aan het schoonmaken.
This literally means “I am at the making-clean of the kitchen thoroughly.”

How would you say “I clean the kitchen more thoroughly” (comparative)?

Turn grondig into its comparative grondiger:
• Ik maak de keuken grondiger schoon.
For the superlative (“most thoroughly”):
• Ik maak de keuken het grondigst schoon.

What’s the difference between schoonmaken and reinigen?

Both mean “to clean,” but:

• schoonmaken is everyday language for cleaning or tidying up.
• reinigen is more formal/technical (e.g., sterilization, industrial or medical cleaning).