Breakdown of Ik stop de sleutel in mijn broekzak zodat ik hem niet verlies.
ik
I
niet
not
in
in
hem
him
mijn
my
zodat
so that
de sleutel
the key
verliezen
to lose
stoppen
to put
de broekzak
the trouser pocket
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Questions & Answers about Ik stop de sleutel in mijn broekzak zodat ik hem niet verlies.
Why is stop used here instead of other verbs like leg or zet?
Stoppen can mean “to insert” or “to put into” something, especially when there’s a space or container involved (a pocket, bag, etc.). Leggen and zetten both mean “to put” but don’t carry the nuance of pushing something into a tight space. You could sometimes say steek (“stick”) as in Ik steek de sleutel in mijn broekzak, but stop is more idiomatic for “I put it in there so it won’t fall out.”
Why is it de sleutel and not het sleutel?
Dutch nouns are divided into two genders for articles: de (common gender) and het (neuter). Sleutel is a common-gender word, so it takes de. There’s no simple rule other than memorizing or using a dictionary, but many learners note that most “living things” and most concrete objects are de-woorden, though there are plenty of exceptions.
Why is the phrase in mijn broekzak one word for “broekzak” and not broek zak?
Broekzak is a compound noun, combining broek (“trousers”) and zak (“pocket”) into a single word. In Dutch, it’s common to create compounds by writing the elements together (with or without an ‘n’ or linking vowel). You could also shorten mijn to m’n in informal speech or writing: in m’n broekzak.
What’s the role of zodat, and could I use something else like om + infinitive?
Zodat means “so that” and introduces a subordinate clause expressing purpose or result. After zodat, the verb moves to the end: zodat ik hem niet verlies. You could also say om te voorkomen dat ik hem verlies (“in order to prevent losing it”), but you can’t use om + infinitive directly with ik in the same clause (you’d say Ik stop de sleutel in mijn broekzak om hem niet te verliezen, which is grammatical but a bit more formal/wordy).
Why is the word order zodat ik hem niet verlies and not zodat ik niet hem verlies or zodat niet ik hem verlies?
In Dutch subordinate clauses (introduced by conjunctions like zodat, omdat, dat), the finite verb goes to the very end. The typical order is: conjunction – subject – other elements (like pronouns) – (negation) – verb. Hence zodat ik hem niet verlies (literally “so that I it not lose”).
Why is the pronoun hem used for “the key” and not het?
When replacing a de-woord (common-gender noun) like de sleutel, you use the object pronoun hem (“him/it”). If the noun were a het-woord (neuter), you’d use het. For example, het boek → ik stop het in mijn tas.
Could I use another verb like opbergen (“store/put away”)?
Yes, you can. Opbergen emphasizes safely storing something: Ik berg de sleutel in mijn broekzak op. Note that opbergen is separable, so op goes to the end of the main clause. The meaning is roughly the same, but stoppen is a bit more neutral and common for this context.