Breakdown of Tom voegt citroen toe aan zijn kopje water.
Tom
Tom
het water
the water
zijn
his
het kopje
the cup
aan
to
toevoegen
to add
de citroen
the lemon
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Questions & Answers about Tom voegt citroen toe aan zijn kopje water.
What does the separable verb toevoegen consist of, and how is it used in this sentence?
The verb is toevoegen, which literally splits into a stem (voeg-) and a prefix (toe). In the present tense for Tom (3rd person singular) it becomes voegt, and the separable prefix toe moves to the end of the main clause. Together they mean “to add.”
Why does toe appear at the end of the sentence instead of next to voegt?
Dutch main clauses follow the rule for separable verbs: the finite part (voegt) stays in position 2, while the prefix (toe) goes all the way to the end of the clause. So you get Tom voegt … toe.
Why is voegt (the conjugated verb) in the second position?
Dutch uses a V2 (verb-second) word order in main clauses. The first element can be the subject, an adverbial phrase, etc., but the finite verb must occupy the second slot. Here Tom is first, then voegt.
What role does the preposition aan play here?
The full verb construction is toevoegen aan, meaning “to add to.” The aan links the thing being added (citroen) to its recipient (zijn kopje water).
Why is there no article before citroen? Shouldn’t it be een citroen?
When speaking about adding a flavor or ingredient in general, Dutch often treats it as a mass noun and leaves out the article. If you want to specify quantity, you could say een schijfje citroen (“a slice of lemon”) or een stukje citroen (“a bit of lemon”).
Why is zijn used before kopje water?
Zijn is the possessive pronoun “his,” referring back to Tom. Because a possessive pronoun directly precedes the noun, you do not use a separate article (so you don’t say zijn het kopje).
In kopje water, why does kopje come first and water second, while English says cup of water?
In Dutch the head noun comes first (kopje = “cup”) and is modified by the following noun (water). In English we often use “cup of water,” but in Dutch you simply say kopje water.
Can we specify the amount of citroen more precisely in this sentence?
Yes. For example:
- Tom voegt een schijfje citroen toe aan zijn kopje water.
- Tom voegt wat citroensap toe aan zijn kopje water. This tells you exactly what form or quantity of lemon is used.
Could we replace kopje with glas here? Is that correct?
Absolutely. If Tom is using a glass instead of a small cup, you’d say: Tom voegt citroen toe aan zijn glas water.
How would you negate this sentence in Dutch?
When negating an indefinite or unspecified noun, you use geen. So it becomes: Tom voegt geen citroen toe aan zijn kopje water.