Ik vind fotografie interessant.

I find photography interesting.

Breakdown of Ik vind fotografie interessant.

• ik: I
• vinden: to find
• interessant: interesting
• de fotografie: the photography

Questions & Answers about Ik vind fotografie interessant.

Why is there no article before fotografie?

In Dutch, when you talk about a concept in general (here: the hobby or subject of photography), you often omit the indefinite article. fotografie acts like an uncountable noun (“photography” in general), so you don’t say de fotografie or een fotografie in this sentence.

Why is fotografie not capitalized?

In Dutch, only proper nouns and the start of a sentence are capitalized. Common nouns like fotografie stay in lowercase, even though in English “Photography” might be capitalized in titles or headers.

Why is interessant placed at the end of the sentence?

The Dutch word order for a statement with a subject (S), finite verb (V), object (O) and complement (C) is typically S-V-O-C. Here:
• S = Ik
• V = vind
• O = fotografie
• C = interessant
Putting interessant at the end follows that S-V-O-C pattern.

What does vinden mean here? Doesn’t it also mean “to find” in English?

Correct. vinden can mean both “to find” (locate) and “to consider/think.” In “Ik vind fotografie interessant,” it means “I consider photography interesting” (i.e. “I find photography interesting” in English).

Could I say “Ik vind fotograferen interessant” instead? What’s the difference?

Yes. fotograferen is the infinitive (“to photograph”), so “Ik vind fotograferen interessant” emphasizes the activity of taking photos. fotografie is the noun (“photography”), referring to the field or art form. Both are correct but focus slightly differently.

How do I make this sentence negative?

Place niet before the adjective:
• “Ik vind fotografie niet interessant.”
If you want to emphasize complete disinterest, you can add helemaal or echt:
• “Ik vind fotografie helemaal niet interessant.”

How would I ask “Do you find photography interesting?” in Dutch?

Invert the verb and subject for a yes/no question:
• Informal: “Vind je fotografie interessant?”
• Formal: “Vindt u fotografie interessant?”