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Breakdown of Stuur jij dat berichtje even door naar mijn zus?
jij
you
naar
to
dat
that
mijn
my
even
just
doorsturen
to forward
het berichtje
the little message
de zus
the (female) sister
Questions & Answers about Stuur jij dat berichtje even door naar mijn zus?
Why is there no -t on stuur even though the subject is jij?
In yes/no questions, Dutch puts the finite verb before the subject (inversion). With jij/je, the present-tense -t drops when the verb comes first.
- Statement: Jij stuurt het door.
- Question: Stuur jij het door?
- With unstressed je: Stuur je het door?
- With formal u, the -t stays even after inversion: Stuurt u het door?
What does even add?
Even is a softening particle. It makes the request sound friendly and light, roughly like “just” / “real quick” / “for a sec.” It often suggests the task won’t take long, but its main job is politeness, not literal duration. It’s very common in speech; leaving it out makes the request more neutral (and sometimes a bit blunter).
Why is door at the end of the verb phrase?
Because doorsturen is a separable verb. In main clauses the prefix separates and moves to the right:
- Infinitive: doorsturen
- Main clause: Ik stuur het (even) door (naar mijn zus).
- Perfect: Ik heb het doorgestuurd.
- With a modal: Kun je het (even) doorsturen? (the infinitive stays together)
- Subordinate clause: … dat je het (even) naar mijn zus doorstuurt.
Note: In the given sentence, door comes before naar mijn zus. You’ll also hear the alternative order: Stuur je het even naar mijn zus door? Both are fine.
Is this an imperative or a question?
Grammatically it’s a yes/no question (verb first), but pragmatically it’s a polite request—much like English “Will you just forward…?” A true imperative would be: Stuur dat berichtje even door naar mijn zus. Thanks to even, even the imperative sounds friendly.
How polite is this, and how can I adjust the tone?
- Neutral/friendly: the original sentence with je/jij and even.
- More polite: use a modal or conditional:
- Wil je/Kun je dat berichtje even doorsturen …?
- Zou je dat berichtje even willen doorsturen …?
- Formal: switch to u:
- Zou u dat berichtje even willen doorsturen …?
- Extra politeness: add alsjeblieft/alstublieft or als het kan.
Why dat berichtje and not dit or die?
Because berichtje is a diminutive, and all diminutives are neuter (het-words). The demonstratives work like this:
- Singular het-word: dit (this), dat (that) → dit/ dat berichtje
- Singular de-word: deze (this), die (that)
- Plurals (always de): deze (these), die (those) Here, the speaker is pointing to a “that” message: dat berichtje.
What nuance does the diminutive -je in berichtje add?
It makes the noun sound smaller, lighter, or more casual/affectionate. Berichtje is the everyday way to refer to a short message/text. Bericht is perfectly correct but feels a bit more neutral or formal.
Can I omit jij?
Yes, if you want the imperative: Stuur dat berichtje even door naar mijn zus. That’s common and still friendly with even.
If you keep the question format but don’t want emphasis on the subject, use unstressed je: Stuur je dat berichtje even door …? Using jij adds emphasis to “you (as opposed to someone else).”
Where else can I put even?
It’s quite mobile; keep it close to the verb phrase.
- After the subject: Stuur jij even dat berichtje door naar mijn zus?
- After the direct object (your original): Stuur jij dat berichtje even door naar mijn zus?
- With an infinitive: Kun je dat berichtje even doorsturen naar mijn zus? Avoid placing even far away from the verb (e.g., at the very end); that sounds odd.
Why is it naar mijn zus? Could I use aan?
With (door)sturen, naar is the default for the recipient in everyday Dutch: iets naar iemand (door)sturen. Aan also occurs, especially in written/register-heavy contexts (e.g., emails: een mail aan iemand sturen). With doorsturen, naar is more common in speech, but aan isn’t wrong.
Can I replace dat berichtje or mijn zus with pronouns?
Yes:
- Direct object pronoun for a neuter singular like berichtje: het → Stuur je het even door …
- Recipient pronoun after naar: haar → … naar haar? Combined: Stuur je het even door naar haar?
What’s the difference between sturen, versturen, and doorsturen?
- sturen: to send (general).
- versturen: to send out/dispatch (often for mail, parcels, emails; a bit more formal/technical).
- doorsturen: to forward (send something on to someone else).
How does the word order change with a modal verb or in a subordinate clause?
- With a modal, the main verb is an infinitive and stays together:
Kun je dat berichtje even doorsturen naar mijn zus? - In a subordinate clause, the finite verb goes to the end and the prefix reattaches:
Ik wil graag dat je dat berichtje even naar mijn zus doorstuurt. - With “te”: … om het even door te sturen.
Should I use jij or je here?
Use je by default if there’s no special emphasis: Stuur je dat berichtje even door …?
Use jij to stress “you in particular”: Stuur jij (you, not someone else) dat berichtje…
Can I say bericht instead of berichtje?
Yes: Stuur jij dat bericht even door …? It’s correct but a touch more neutral/formal. Berichtje feels more colloquial and friendly.
Does door mean “through” here?
Not literally. In doorsturen, door- is a verbal prefix meaning “on/along/forward,” forming the verb “to forward.” As a separable prefix, it can appear at the right edge of the verb phrase in main clauses: … stuur … door …
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