Learn Hardcore Dutch: De docent beantwoordt onze vragen.

antwoorden (op iets) = to answer / reply (usually with op
- object):
- De docent antwoordt op onze vragen.
  (The teacher answers our questions.)
beantwoorden (iets) = to answer something (direct object, no preposition):
- De docent beantwoordt onze vragen.

So:

beantwoorden takes a direct object: onze vragen.
antwoorden normally takes op + object: op onze vragen.

*De docent antwoordt onze vragen (without op) is not standard.

Why does beantwoordt end in -t here?

Because the subject de docent is third person singular (he/she/it), and in the present tense Dutch adds -t to most verbs in that case.

Pattern (present tense):

ik beantwoord
jij / u / hij / zij / het beantwoordt
wij / jullie / zij beantwoorden

So with de docent (he/she), you use beantwoordt.

How would beantwoorden change with different subjects like ik, jij, wij?

Present tense of beantwoorden:

ik beantwoord – I answer
jij beantwoordt – you answer (singular, informal, in normal order)
u beantwoordt – you answer (formal)
hij / zij / het beantwoordt – he / she / it answers
wij beantwoorden – we answer
jullie beantwoorden – you (plural) answer
zij beantwoorden – they answer

Example sentences:

Ik beantwoord de vraag. – I answer the question.
Wij beantwoorden jullie vragen. – We answer your questions.

What exactly does onze vragen tell us about number and possession?

onze shows possession → the questions belong to us (our).
vragen is plural → more than one question.

So onze vragen = our questions (plural questions owned by “we/us”).

What is the difference between onze and ons, and why is onze used here?

Onze and ons are both “our”, but they are used in different contexts:

Before a de-word (common gender), singular:
- onze
- onze auto (de auto)
Before a plural noun (both de- and het-words):
- onze
- onze vragen (de vragen)
- onze huizen (de/het huis → huizen)
Before a singular het-word:
- ons
- ons huis (het huis)
- ons boek (het boek)

In onze vragen:

vragen is plural,
so the correct form is onze, not ons.

Is docent masculine or feminine, and why is the article de used?

Docent is a common-gender noun in Dutch, so it always takes de:

de docent – the teacher (can be male or female)

Traditionally:

de docent = male teacher
de docente = female teacher

But in modern usage de docent is often used for any teacher regardless of gender.

Because it’s a common-gender noun, you say de docent, never het docent.

Is beantwoorden a separable verb, and what happens to it in a subordinate clause?

Beantwoorden is not separable. The prefix be- is an inseparable prefix in Dutch.

Main clause: verb in second position
- De docent beantwoordt onze vragen.
Subordinate clause: verb at the end, and it stays together:
- Ik denk dat de docent onze vragen beantwoordt.
  (I think that the teacher answers our questions.)

Compare with a truly separable verb such as opbellen:

Main: Hij belt ons op.
Subordinate: … dat hij ons opbelt.

With beantwoorden, you never split off be-.

How would you negate this sentence? Where does niet or geen go?

Two common options, with slightly different meanings:

De docent beantwoordt onze vragen niet.
- Negates the verb: the teacher does not answer our questions.
- Focus: he doesn’t answer our questions (maybe someone else’s).
De docent beantwoordt geen vragen.
- Negates the noun: the teacher answers no questions (at all).
- Stronger: zero questions.

Position:

niet usually comes after the direct object if you are negating the verb:
- De docent beantwoordt onze vragen niet.

Can you put onze vragen at the beginning of the sentence, and does it change the meaning?

Yes:

Onze vragen beantwoordt de docent.

This is grammatically correct. The basic meaning is the same (“The teacher answers our questions”), but:

Putting onze vragen first adds emphasis or focus to our questions.
It sounds a bit more formal or stylistic, and is common in written Dutch or for emphasis in speech.

How do you pronounce docent, beantwoordt, and vragen?

Approximate pronunciation:

docent ≈ doh-SENT
- do like English dough
- cent like English sent
beantwoordt ≈ beh-AAN-voort (but the final dt is just a t sound)
- be like beh
- aan like a long aa as in father (but longer)
- woord has a long oo (like board)
- d before t is not separately pronounced: beantwoordt sounds like beantwoord.
vragen ≈ FRAA-ghen
- v is often between v and f; at the start often like English v, but can sound a bit like f.
- aa like the long a in father (longer).
- g is a guttural sound in the throat (a bit like a hard ch in Scottish loch).
- Final -en often sounds like uh or very light ən → FRAA-ghə(n).

Why is the simple present beantwoordt used, and can this also mean is answering in English?

Yes. Dutch simple present covers both:

English simple present:
- De docent beantwoordt onze vragen.
  → The teacher answers our questions (regularly / in general).
English present continuous:
- De docent beantwoordt onze vragen.
  → The teacher is answering our questions (right now).

Context decides which English tense is best. Dutch usually does not need an extra form like “is aan het beantwoorden” unless you really want to stress the ongoing activity.

Can I also say De docent beantwoordt de vragen van ons? Is that different from onze vragen?

You can say it, and it is grammatically correct:

De docent beantwoordt onze vragen.
→ neutral, natural: The teacher answers our questions.
De docent beantwoordt de vragen van ons.
→ literally: The teacher answers the questions of us.
→ sounds more marked / emphasised, as if you want to contrast our questions with someone else’s.

In everyday Dutch, onze vragen is the normal, most natural way to say it.