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Questions & Answers about Het kind drukt per ongeluk op de lichtknop en iedereen lacht.
Why is op at the end of drukt … op?
Because opdrukken is a separable verb. In a main clause you put the conjugated verb (drukt) in second position and move the particle (op) to the end of the clause:
Het kind drukt … op de lichtknop.
What does per ongeluk mean and where can I place it?
per ongeluk means “by accident” or “accidentally.” It usually follows the finite verb:
Het kind drukt per ongeluk op de knop.
You can also place it at the end of the clause:
Het kind drukt op de knop per ongeluk.
Why do we say het kind instead of de kind?
kind is a neuter noun in Dutch, so it takes the article het.
Why is lichtknop written as one word?
Dutch forms many compound nouns by joining two words together. Here licht (light) + knop (button/switch) = lichtknop.
What gender is lichtknop and which article does it take?
The head noun is knop, which is common (de-) gender, so you say de lichtknop.
What’s the difference between drukken op and duwen op?
Use drukken op when you “press” a button or switch. duwen means “to push” something heavier or larger (push a cart, door, etc.).
Why is there no comma before en?
In Dutch you generally do not put a comma before coordinating conjunctions like en. You only add a comma if the sentence is very long or confusing without it.
Why does iedereen use lacht and not lachen?
iedereen (“everyone”) is grammatically singular, so the verb takes the third‐person singular form lacht.
Could I start the sentence with Per ongeluk?
Yes. If you front per ongeluk you must invert subject and verb:
Per ongeluk drukt het kind op de lichtknop en iedereen lacht.