Heb jij iets nodig?

Do you need anything?

Breakdown of Heb jij iets nodig?

• jij: you
• nodig hebben: to need
• iets: anything

Questions & Answers about Heb jij iets nodig?

Why does the sentence start with Heb instead of Jij?

Because it is a yes/no question in Dutch.

In a normal statement, Dutch usually has the subject first:

• Jij hebt iets nodig. = You need something.

In a yes/no question, the finite verb moves to the first position:

• Heb jij iets nodig? = Do you need anything?

So this is a very common Dutch pattern:

• Jij hebt ... → statement
• Heb jij ...? → question

What form is heb, and why is it not hebt?