Breakdown of Zij draagt haar tas op haar schouder tijdens de wandeling.
zij
she
tijdens
during
haar
her
op
on
de wandeling
the walk
de tas
the bag
dragen
to carry
de schouder
the shoulder
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Questions & Answers about Zij draagt haar tas op haar schouder tijdens de wandeling.
What’s the difference between zij and ze?
- zij is the stressed/emphatic form: it highlights contrast (She, not someone else).
- ze is the normal, unstressed form used in everyday speech and writing.
- Both can mean she or they. The verb shows which one it is: Zij draagt (she carries), Zij dragen (they carry).
Why does the verb end in -t: draagt?
In the present tense, third-person singular adds -t.
- ik draag
- jij/je draagt (but in inversion: draag jij?)
- hij/zij/het draagt
- wij/jullie/zij dragen Past: droeg (sing.), droegen (pl.). Participle: gedragen. With inversion, only jij/je drops the -t; zij does not: Draagt zij …?
Does dragen mean “to carry” or “to wear”?
Both. dragen covers:
- wearing clothing or accessories: Ze draagt een jas / een bril.
- carrying something: Ze draagt haar tas. It can also mean “to bear” figuratively: verantwoordelijkheid dragen (to bear responsibility).
Why op haar schouder and not aan or over?
- op (haar schouder): on the shoulder (resting on it). Natural with loads or a bag resting on top.
- over (haar schouder): the strap goes over the shoulder; the bag hangs down. Very common for shoulder bags.
- aan (haar schouder): common with hangen (to hang): De tas hangt aan haar schouder. With dragen, aan sounds less idiomatic.
Why is schouder singular here?
You typically name the one shoulder used: op haar schouder. Use the plural when it involves both: op haar schouders (e.g., carrying a pole across both shoulders).
Is the word order natural? Place before time?
Yes, the sentence is natural. Dutch often prefers Time–(Manner)–Place, but this is not a hard rule. Both are fine:
- Zij draagt haar tas op haar schouder tijdens de wandeling.
- Zij draagt tijdens de wandeling haar tas op haar schouder. Word order mainly reflects emphasis and rhythm.
Can I start with the time phrase?
Yes. Observe verb-second (V2):
- Tijdens de wandeling draagt zij haar tas op haar schouder. The finite verb draagt must come second, so the subject follows it.
Why de wandeling and not het wandeling?
wandeling is a de-word. Nearly all nouns ending in -ing take de (e.g., de opleiding, de vergadering).
Could I say tijdens het wandelen instead of tijdens de wandeling?
Yes, with a nuance:
- tijdens de wandeling = during the specific walk/hike.
- tijdens het wandelen = while walking (the activity in general). Both are correct; choose based on meaning.
Why no article before tas? Why not de haar tas?
Possessives (haar, zijn, mijn, etc.) already function like determiners, so you don’t add an article: haar tas is correct. You could say de tas van haar, but that’s usually used for emphasis or contrast and sounds heavier.
How do I negate this sentence?
Place niet before the part you negate:
- Place: Ze draagt haar tas niet op haar schouder (maar in haar hand).
- Time: Ze draagt haar tas niet tijdens de wandeling (maar daarna).
- Whole predicate: Ze draagt haar tas niet.
How do I form a yes/no question?
Invert subject and verb:
- Draagt zij haar tas op haar schouder tijdens de wandeling? After the verb you may use ze instead of zij: Draagt ze …? With jij/je, drop the -t in inversion: Draag jij je tas …?
Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts?
- zij: ij ~ like the vowel in English “day,” but a bit tenser (NL ij ≈ ei).
- draagt: long aa (as in “father”), and the g/ch is the Dutch guttural (like German “Bach”). Final -t is pronounced.
- schouder: sch = s
- guttural ch; ou ~ “ow” in “cow” but rounder.
- wandeling: stress on the first syllable: WAN-de-ling.
Can haar be confused with “hair”?
In writing they look the same, but context and articles disambiguate:
- haar (possessive: her): haar tas.
- (het) haar (noun: hair): usually with article: het haar.
So haar tas can only mean “her bag,” not “hair bag.”
What are the plurals of tas, schouder, wandeling?
- tas → tassen (double the s)
- schouder → schouders
- wandeling → wandelingen Example: Zij dragen hun tassen op hun schouders tijdens de wandelingen.
What’s the difference between haar and hun?
- haar = her (singular female possessor): haar tas.
- hun = their (plural possessor): hun tas (shared) or hun tassen. Remember verb agreement helps disambiguate zij (she/they): zij draagt (she), zij dragen (they).
Could I say Ze neemt haar tas mee instead of Ze draagt haar tas?
Yes, but the focus changes:
- dragen emphasizes how it’s being carried.
- meenemen emphasizes taking it along.
- bij zich hebben = to have it with you: Ze heeft haar tas bij zich.
How do I express the English progressive (“She is carrying …”)?
Dutch usually uses the simple present: Ze draagt haar tas …
A progressive exists but is heavier: Ze is haar tas aan het dragen, often only when you need to stress the ongoing action right now.
Is it okay to repeat haar twice?
Yes. In Dutch you normally mark possession with a possessive before body parts: op haar schouder. Using op de schouder sounds generic (like instructions) or ambiguous, unless a reflexive construction is used (a different pattern).