Breakdown of In de krant lees ik een artikel over duurzaam reizen met de trein.
ik
I
lezen
to read
in
in
over
about
een
a, an
de trein
the train
met
by
duurzaam
sustainable
de krant
the newspaper
het artikel
the article
het reizen
the traveling
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Questions & Answers about In de krant lees ik een artikel over duurzaam reizen met de trein.
Why is the verb lees placed before the subject ik in this sentence?
Because Dutch follows the V2 (verb-second) rule. With the sentence starting on the adverbial In de krant, the finite verb lees must come next, pushing the subject ik into third position.
Why do we use in de krant instead of op de krant?
In de krant literally means “in the newspaper,” i.e., something contained within it (what you read). Op de krant would suggest “on top of the newspaper,” which isn’t used to talk about reading its content.
What does the preposition over express here?
Here over means “about.” In Dutch you say lezen over iets (to read about something). So een artikel over duurzaam reizen is “an article about sustainable travel.”
What is duurzaam reizen, and why isn’t there an article or te before reizen?
Duurzaam reizen is a noun phrase meaning “sustainable travel.” The infinitive reizen is used as a noun (like a gerund in English). Adjectives can modify it directly (here duurzaam), and no article is needed when you talk about the general concept.
Why is een artikel used, and what gender is artikel?
Artikel is a common-gender noun (a “de-word”). Its indefinite article is een, so een artikel = “an article.” In the sentence, it functions as the direct object of lees.
What does met de trein mean, and can I use per trein instead?
Met de trein means “by train.” You can also say per trein, which is slightly more formal. Both indicate the means of travel: reizen met de trein or reizen per trein.
Why is met de trein placed at the end of the sentence?
Adverbial phrases of manner or means typically follow the verb and its object in Dutch. After lees ik een artikel over duurzaam reizen, the phrase met de trein naturally comes last.
Could I insert a relative pronoun like dat and say lees ik een artikel dat over duurzaam reizen met de trein gaat?
Yes, that’s possible. It would become a relative clause: In de krant lees ik een artikel dat gaat over duurzaam reizen met de trein. This is a bit longer but equally correct.