Anna stopt de kleren in de droger en zet hem aan.
Anna puts the clothes in the dryer and turns it on.
……
Breakdown of Anna stopt de kleren in de droger en zet hem aan.
Anna
Anna
in
in
en
and
aanzetten
to turn on
hem
it
stoppen
to put
de kleren
the clothes
de droger
the dryer
Questions & Answers about Anna stopt de kleren in de droger en zet hem aan.
Why is it Anna stopt and not Anna stop?
Because Dutch adds -t for third-person singular in the present tense. The verb is stoppen:
- ik stop
- jij/je stopt (but in inversion: Stop jij…?)
- hij/zij/Anna stopt Plural: wij/jullie/zij stoppen
Why is it Anna zet and not Anna zett?
The verb is zetten with stem zet. Third person singular is the stem (you don’t add another t at the end):
- ik zet
- jij/je zet (inversion: Zet jij…?)
- hij/zij/Anna zet Writing zett is incorrect.
Why is aan at the end of the clause in zet hem aan?
Because aanzetten is a separable verb. In main clauses the particle splits off and goes to the end:
- Main clause: Anna zet hem aan.
- Subordinate clause: … omdat Anna hem aanzet. (no split)
- With an infinitive: Anna wil hem aanzetten.
Why is the pronoun hem used for the dryer and not het?
Dutch nouns are either common gender (de-words) or neuter (het-words). De droger is a common-gender noun, so the object pronoun is hem. If it were a neuter noun (het-word), you’d use het. In Dutch, inanimate things can be referred to with hem or haar depending on the noun’s grammatical gender.
Can I say zet de droger aan instead of zet hem aan?
Yes. Both are correct:
- Anna zet de droger aan.
- Anna zet hem aan. Using the noun repeats it explicitly; using hem avoids repetition once the referent is clear.
Is 'm acceptable in place of hem?
Yes, in informal speech/writing you often see 'm:
- Anna zet 'm aan. Use hem in formal contexts.
Why is it in de droger and not naar de droger?
Use in to indicate movement into a container or enclosed space:
- iets in iets doen/stoppen = put something into something Naar means “to/towards” a destination, not “into”:
- You go naar de droger (towards it), but you put clothes in de droger.
Could I say Anna doet de kleren in de droger instead of stopt?
Yes. Doen … in is very common and neutral: Anna doet de kleren in de droger. Stoppen … in can sound like “to stuff/put in,” slightly more forceful, but it’s perfectly normal for laundry.
What’s the difference between kleren and kleding?
- kleren = clothes (countable plural, informal, very common)
- kleding = clothing (uncountable/mass noun, a bit more formal or general) In everyday speech here, kleren fits well. You can also say de was (the laundry): Anna stopt de was in de droger.
Could hem refer to the clothes here?
No. De kleren is plural; the pronoun for “them” would be ze (or hen/hun in certain contexts). Hem is singular and refers to de droger.
Can I use erin to avoid repeating “de droger”?
Yes. Dutch often uses er + preposition:
- After you’ve mentioned the dryer: Anna stopt de kleren erin en zet hem aan. Here erin = “into it,” referring back to the dryer. You could also say: Anna stopt de kleren in de droger en zet die aan (pointing/colloquial), or simply repeat: … en zet de droger aan.
Why is the subject missing in the second part en zet hem aan?
It’s a coordination with en (“and”), and Dutch allows you to omit the repeated subject when it’s the same:
- Anna stopt … en (Anna) zet … → Anna stopt … en zet …
Do I need a comma before en here?
No. Dutch typically doesn’t use a comma before en when joining two short main clauses. A comma is optional in longer or more complex sentences for readability.
Is aandoen also possible instead of aanzetten?
Sometimes, yes:
- het licht aandoen and de tv aandoen are very common. For appliances like a dryer, aanzetten is more idiomatic: de droger aanzetten. De droger aandoen is understandable but less common. Be careful: de kleren aandoen means “put on the clothes,” not “turn on.”
How would this look in a subordinate clause?
- Ik zie dat Anna de kleren in de droger stopt en hem aanzet. Note that in subordinate clauses, separable verbs reunite: aanzet (not split). The verb cluster goes to the end of the clause.
Where does the particle go with modal verbs or with te?
- With a modal: Anna wil hem aanzetten. (particle stays attached to the infinitive)
- With te: om hem aan te zetten. Don’t split aan from zetten in these infinitive constructions.
Are there regional word choices for “dryer”?
Yes.
- Netherlands: de droger, de wasdroger
- Belgium (Flanders): de droogkast All mean a clothes dryer.
Does stoppen also mean “to quit,” and how do I avoid confusion?
Yes, stoppen can mean “to stop/quit,” but then it’s used with met or without an object:
- Anna stopt met werken. = Anna quits working.
- Anna stopt de kleren in de droger. = Anna puts the clothes in the dryer. The presence of a direct object plus in makes the meaning clear.
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