Log inSign up

Zijn broekzak zit vol met muntjes en oude bonnetjes.

Zijn broekzak zit vol met muntjes en oude bonnetjes.
His trouser pocket is full of coins and old receipts.
FromLesson 39inHardcore Dutch
……

Questions & Answers about Zijn broekzak zit vol met muntjes en oude bonnetjes.

What is the function of zijn in this sentence? Is it the verb zijn (meaning to be) or a possessive pronoun?
zijn here is the possessive pronoun his. It indicates ownership of the pocket; it is not the verb zijn (“to be”).
Why is it broekzak instead of zak van zijn broek? How do compound nouns work in Dutch?

Dutch often forms compound nouns by combining two words: the first modifies the second.

  • broek
    • zak = broekzak (“trouser pocket”).
      Although you could say zak van zijn broek, the compact compound broekzak is more natural.
What is the role of vol and why is it followed by met?

vol is an adjective meaning full. The construction vol met + [objects] means full of [objects].
Example: zit vol met muntjes = is full of coins.

Can you use vol van instead of vol met here?

In this context—describing the contents of something—you should use vol met.
vol van can appear in other fixed expressions (e.g., vol van twijfel, full of doubt), but not with physical contents.

What are muntjes and bonnetjes, and why do they have the -je ending?
  • muntje is the diminutive of munt (coin); muntjes means coins.
  • bonnetje is the diminutive of bon (receipt); bonnetjes means receipts.
    The -je suffix makes the noun smaller or more familiar and also turns it into a neuter noun (e.g., het muntje, het bonnetje).
How do you form the plural of these diminutives, and when do you add -s vs -en?

Diminutives ending in -je (pronounced /ə/) form the plural with -s:

  • muntje → muntjes
  • bonnetje → bonnetjes
    Regular nouns often take -en for the plural (e.g., boek → boeken), but diminutives use -s.
Why is the verb zit (singular) used here instead of zitten (plural)?
The subject of the sentence is zijn broekzak, which is singular. Therefore the verb appears in the third-person singular form zit. Even though muntjes and bonnetjes are plural, they are part of the predicate, not the subject.
Do you need to worry about the noun’s gender when using the possessive zijn?

No. Dutch possessive pronouns like zijn remain the same regardless of whether the noun is common gender (de-word) or neuter (het-word).

  • Common gender example: zijn tas (his bag)
  • Neuter example: zijn boek (his book)

More from this lesson

instoppenhet hemdDoe je hemd in je broek voordat we vertrekken.Het hemd dat hij draagt, is dun maar toch warm.de broekzakIk stop de sleutel in mijn broekzak zodat ik hem niet verlies.het muntjeTom vindt een muntje in zijn jaszak.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Dutch grammar?”
Dutch grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Dutch

Master Dutch — from Zijn broekzak zit vol met muntjes en oude bonnetjes to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Dutch freeBrowse the full course