Wat betekent dit woord in deze zin?

What does this word mean in this sentence?

Breakdown of Wat betekent dit woord in deze zin?

• in: in
• het woord: the word
• deze: this
• dit: this
• wat: what
• de zin: the sentence
• betekenen: to mean

Questions & Answers about Wat betekent dit woord in deze zin?

Why is there no word like does in the Dutch question?

Dutch doesn’t use do-support. Questions are formed by putting the finite verb in second position (the V2 rule). So you get: Wat (slot 1) + betekent (slot 2) + the subject and the rest: dit woord …. Compare:

• Statement: Dit woord betekent …
• Question: Wat betekent dit woord …?

What is the subject in this sentence?

The subject is dit woord. The wh-word wat is what you’re asking for (the thing that is meant), and in deze zin is a prepositional phrase indicating context.

Why does betekent end in -t?

Because the subject (dit woord) is third person singular. Present-tense endings:

• ik: beteken
• jij/je: betekent (but after inversion: beteken jij …?)
• hij/zij/het: betekent
• wij/jullie/zij: betekenen

Why dit woord but deze zin?

• woord is a neuter noun (a “het-word”), so the proximal demonstrative is dit: dit woord.
• zin is a common-gender noun (a “de-word”), so the proximal demonstrative is deze: deze zin. Similarly, for “that”: dat woord but die zin.

Can I say Wat bedoelt dit woord in deze zin?

No. Use:

• betekenen for what words/symbols mean: Wat betekent dit woord …?
• bedoelen for what people mean/intend: Wat bedoel je?

Can I move in deze zin to another position?

Yes, but the neutral place is at the end: Wat betekent dit woord in deze zin? You can front it for emphasis: Wat betekent in deze zin dit woord? That sounds marked and is used to focus specifically on the location/context.

How would I ask about more than one word or more than one sentence?

• Multiple words (note the verb is plural): Wat betekenen deze woorden in deze zin?
• Multiple sentences: Wat betekent dit woord in deze zinnen?

How do you pronounce the words?

Approximate IPA:

• Wat [ʋɑt]
• betekent [bəˈteːkənt]
• dit [dɪt]
• woord [ʋoːrt] (final d is devoiced)
• in [ɪn]
• deze [ˈdeːzə]
• zin [zɪn]

Is there a more formal or alternative way to ask the same thing?

Yes:

• Wat is de betekenis van dit woord in deze zin? (more formal)
• Welke betekenis heeft dit woord in deze zin? (also formal) Regional/informal (especially Belgian Dutch): Wat wil dit woord zeggen (in deze zin)?

Is zin only “sentence”?

No. zin can also mean “sense/point” (Dat heeft geen zin = “That makes no sense/There’s no point”) and “desire/mood” (Ik heb geen zin = “I don’t feel like it”). Here, with in deze zin, it clearly means “sentence.”

What if I just want to ask “What does this mean?” without naming the word?

Use Wat betekent dit? (while pointing). If the referent is farther away or previously mentioned: Wat betekent dat?

How does this look inside an embedded question?

In embedded questions the finite verb goes to the end:

• Ik vraag me af wat dit woord in deze zin betekent. (Notice betekent moves to the clause-final position.)

Do I need quotation marks around the specific word I’m asking about?

Often people add them, but it’s optional. You can write:

• Wat betekent het woord fiets in deze zin? If you do add quotation marks, they would go around the word you’re asking about; the grammar of the sentence stays the same.