Word
Vier leerlingen zitten in de klas.
Meaning
Four pupils are sitting in the classroom.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Vier leerlingen zitten in de klas.
in
in
zitten
to sit
de klas
the classroom
de leerling
the pupil
Questions & Answers about Vier leerlingen zitten in de klas.
Why is there no article before "vier leerlingen"?
In Dutch, there is no indefinite article for plural nouns. A numeral like vier already determines the noun leerlingen, so you don’t add een. If you say de vier leerlingen, that means the four students (a specific group).
Why use zitten instead of zijn?
Dutch often uses posture verbs (zitten, staan, liggen, hangen) to describe where people or things are. Zitten highlights that they are seated. Er zijn vier leerlingen in de klas is possible and neutral; Er zitten vier leerlingen in de klas sounds a bit more vivid/natural if they are actually sitting.
Is Er zitten vier leerlingen in de klas more idiomatic?
Yes. Dutch often introduces new or non-specific subjects with the placeholder er: Er zitten vier leerlingen in de klas. Your sentence without er is correct, but with er it sounds more like everyday speech for there‑are statements.
Why de klas and not het klas?