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Questions & Answers about Het station is een belangrijk knooppunt voor trams en bussen in de hoofdstad.
Why is station preceded by het instead of de?
Because station is a neuter noun in Dutch (a het-woord). Neuter nouns always take het, whereas common-gender nouns (the de-woorden) take de.
Why use een belangrijk knooppunt instead of het belangrijke knooppunt?
Use een (a/an) for an indefinite reference—introducing “an important hub” among potentially many. Het (the) would make it definite or unique, referring to a specific hub already known to the listener.
Why doesn’t belangrijk get an -e ending in een belangrijk knooppunt?
After the indefinite article een, adjectives modifying a singular neuter noun remain uninflected (no -e). Since knooppunt is neuter, it stays een belangrijk knooppunt. If you switch to the definite article you’d say het belangrijke knooppunt.
When does an adjective take -e in Dutch?
An adjective takes -e before:
• Any noun with de (singular or plural), e.g. de belangrijke halte, de hoge gebouwen
• Any noun with het if it’s definite, e.g. het belangrijke knooppunt
• All plural nouns after een or with no article, e.g. belangrijke knooppunten
But after een in front of a singular neuter noun, the adjective stays in its base form (no -e).
What does knooppunt mean?
Knooppunt literally combines knop (node) and punt (point). In transport or network contexts it means hub, junction, or interchange—a place where multiple routes (roads, rails, trams, buses) converge.
Why is voor used in knooppunt voor trams en bussen instead of van or met?
Voor here means “for” in the sense of “intended for” or “serving.” A knooppunt voor trams en bussen is a hub for trams and buses.
– van (“of”) could imply “hub of trams and buses,” focusing on possession/composition, but it’s less idiomatic.
– met (“with”) would emphasize accompaniment, e.g. “hub with shops,” not the intended meaning here.
Why are trams and bussen plural? Could you use the singular?
Dutch often uses the generic plural when talking about a whole category. Plurals trams and bussen mean “trams in general” and “buses in general.” A singular (tram, bus) would suggest one specific vehicle, which doesn’t fit the idea of an overall network hub.
Why isn’t hoofdstad capitalized and why is there de before it?
Hoofdstad (capital city) is a common noun, not a proper name, so it isn’t capitalized. It takes de because hoofdstad is a de-woord (common gender), and you need a definite article when saying “the capital.”
Why is the verb is in the second position and not at the end of the sentence?
Dutch main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must appear in the second slot. In Het station is een belangrijk knooppunt…, Het station is the first element, is is second, and everything else follows.
Can we start the sentence with In de hoofdstad? What word order changes?
Yes. If you front the adverbial, you still keep the verb second:
In de hoofdstad is het station een belangrijk knooppunt voor trams en bussen.
Here In de hoofdstad is first, is stays second, and the subject het station moves to third.
