Learn Hardcore Dutch: Op de nieuwe afdeling verkopen ze alleen duurzame apparatuur. - In the new department they only sell sustainable equipment.

Apparatuur is an uncountable (mass) noun in Dutch—you can’t use een (a/an) with mass nouns. The sentence makes a general statement (“they sell only sustainable equipment”), so no article is needed.

Why does duurzame end with -e?

In Dutch, an adjective before a de-word or with a determiner (even an implied one) takes -e. Since apparatuur is a de-word, duurzaam inflects to duurzame.

Which part does alleen modify? Is it about selling only or the type of equipment?

Here alleen modifies duurzame apparatuur, not the verb. It means “they sell only sustainable equipment,” not “they do nothing but sell.”

Can we move alleen elsewhere? What changes?

Yes. Placement affects the focus:
• Alleen verkopen ze duurzame apparatuur – emphasis on only selling (not repairing, for example).
• Ze verkopen alleen duurzame apparatuur – neutral, as in the original.
• Ze verkopen duurzame apparatuur alleen op de nieuwe afdeling – limits it to only on the new department.

Why does verkopen come before ze?

Dutch is a V2 (verb-second) language: the finite verb must occupy the second position in a main clause. Since the sentence begins with Op de nieuwe afdeling (a prepositional phrase), the verb verkopen comes next, and the subject ze follows.

What does ze refer to? Why not zij?

Ze is the unstressed form of zij (they). In spoken and informal Dutch you almost always use ze. Zij is the same pronoun but used for emphasis or in very formal writing.

Why is the preposition op used with afdeling? Could we say in de afdeling?

In retail or office contexts Dutch uses op de afdeling (“on the department/section”). You might use in if you imagine a closed room, but for store sections op is idiomatic.

What does afdeling mean and what is its gender?

Afdeling means department or section. It’s a de-word (common gender). Its plural is afdelingen.

Could we rephrase this sentence with a relative clause, like “… die duurzaam is”?

Yes. For example:
• Op de nieuwe afdeling verkopen ze alleen apparatuur die duurzaam is.
This means the same but uses die (that) to introduce the relative clause. It’s slightly longer but perfectly correct.

Is apparatuur always singular? How would you talk about individual pieces?

Apparatuur is a mass noun (treated as singular). To refer to countable units, you’d use apparaat (device) or its plural apparaten. For example: twee apparaten (two devices).