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Ik trek de kast naar het raam.

Ik trek de kast naar het raam.
I pull the cupboard to the window.
FromLesson 39inHardcore Dutch
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Breakdown of Ik trek de kast naar het raam.

ik
I
naar
to
de kast
the cupboard
het raam
the window
trekken
to pull

Questions & Answers about Ik trek de kast naar het raam.

Why is trek used instead of trekt?
In Dutch present tense, the verb takes the bare stem after ik. The infinitive trekken has the stem trek, so you say ik trek. You only add -t (making trekt) with subjects like hij, zij or jij (in certain word orders).
What does trekken mean in this sentence, and how is it different from duwen, schuiven or verplaatsen?

Here trekken means “to pull,” i.e. applying force toward yourself.
• duwen = “to push” (force away from yourself)
• schuiven = “to slide” (often gently along a surface)
• verplaatsen = “to move” (neutral term for changing location)

Why is the article de used for kast, but het for raam?

Dutch nouns are either common gender (de) or neuter (het). Some rules of thumb exist, but largely you have to learn each noun’s gender.
• kast is common, so de kast
• raam is neuter, so het raam

What is the function of naar in naar het raam, and could I use a different preposition?
naar expresses movement toward a destination (here toward the window). You could use tot aan to mean “up to” (as in approaching but not attaching), but naar is the standard preposition for “toward.” You cannot drop it or replace it with aan alone.
Why is the word order Ik trek de kast naar het raam (Subject–Verb–Object–Adverbial) instead of Ik trek naar het raam de kast?
In Dutch main clauses the typical order is S–V–O followed by adverbial phrases (including prepositional phrases). Putting naar het raam between verb and object sounds awkward. The correct pattern is Ik trek (S–V) de kast (O) naar het raam (Adv).
Can I move naar het raam to the front of the sentence for emphasis?

Yes. If you front the prepositional phrase you must keep the verb second, so subject and verb swap positions:
Naar het raam trek ik de kast.
This construction highlights naar het raam but is less neutral than the SVO order.

How do I pronounce the g in trek and the double aa in raam?
The Dutch g is a guttural sound, similar to in phonetic terms—produced at the back of the throat. The double aa in raam indicates a long [aː] vowel (held longer than a short a). Listening to native speakers or online recordings can help you master both.
Why is raam spelled with a double aa, while kast has a single a?

Dutch spelling uses double vowels to signal a long sound when the vowel is in a closed syllable (followed by a consonant).
• raam ends in m, so the long /aː/ is written aa.
• kast also ends in st, but the vowel is short /ɑ/, so it stays as a single a.

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.
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