Breakdown of Ik zoek een schuilplaats tegen de storm.
ik
I
een
a, an
zoeken
to look for
tegen
against
de storm
the storm
de schuilplaats
the shelter
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Questions & Answers about Ik zoek een schuilplaats tegen de storm.
What does schuilplaats literally mean and how is it formed?
Schuilplaats is a compound of the verb schuilen (to take shelter) and plaats (place). Literally it’s “shelter-place.” In English we simply say “shelter.” Dutch often forms new nouns by combining a verb or noun with plaats to indicate a place for that action or thing.
Why is tegen used here instead of voor when expressing “from/against the storm”?
In Dutch, tegen is the preposition used to indicate protection or opposition—“against” or “from” something harmful. If you said voor de storm, it would mean “before the storm,” not “shelter from the storm.” So tegen de storm correctly conveys “in protection against the storm.”
Why is the indefinite article een used, not de?
You use een (“a” or “an”) when you’re looking for any shelter, not a specific one already known or mentioned. Using de schuilplaats (“the shelter”) would imply there is one particular shelter you and your listener both know about.
Why is the sentence word order Ik zoek een schuilplaats tegen de storm and not Ik zoek tegen de storm een schuilplaats?
Dutch main clauses typically follow Subject-Verb-Object (S-V-O). Prepositional phrases like tegen de storm generally come after the direct object unless you place them at the very beginning for emphasis. So the neutral order is:
- Subject: Ik
- Verb: zoek
- Object: een schuilplaats
- Prepositional phrase: tegen de storm
What part of speech is tegen and how does it function here?
Tegen is a preposition. It links its object, the noun phrase de storm, to the verb phrase, indicating the shelter is intended to protect “against the storm.”
Could I say Ik zoek beschutting tegen de storm instead?
Yes. Beschutting is another noun meaning “cover” or “shelter.” The sentence remains correct and the meaning is very similar. Schuilplaats emphasizes a physical place, while beschutting can also imply merely being under cover.
What’s the difference between schuilen and schuilplaats?
Schuilen is a verb meaning “to take shelter.”
Example: Ik schuil in de schuur. (“I’m taking shelter in the shed.”)
Schuilplaats is a noun meaning “a place of shelter.” You use it when you want to talk about the actual location or structure that provides shelter.
What gender is schuilplaats, and how do I know it takes de?
Schuilplaats is a common-gender noun and uses de. Unfortunately there’s no strict rule for every compound noun’s gender—you often have to learn it or check a dictionary. A useful hint is that many compounds ending in -plaats are de-words.