Word
Ik doe mijn riem af.
Meaning
I take off my belt.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Ik doe mijn riem af.
What verb is this really? It looks like two words.
It’s the separable verb afdoen. In a main clause it splits into verb + particle: doe … af.
Why is af at the end?
Because with separable verbs in main clauses, the finite verb goes in second position and the particle goes to the end: Ik doe … af.
How do I say this in the past and the present perfect?
- Simple past: Ik deed mijn riem af.
- Present perfect: Ik heb mijn riem afgedaan. Past participle is afgedaan (prefix + ge + gedaan).
What happens in a subordinate clause?
The particle reattaches to the verb and the verb goes to the end:
- omdat ik mijn riem afdoe
- Perfect: omdat ik mijn riem heb afgedaan (also common: omdat ik mijn riem afgedaan heb).
Do I need a reflexive pronoun here?
No. Afdoen is transitive: Ik doe mijn riem af. Reflexive forms are used in other expressions like zich uitkleden, but not here.
How do I negate it?