Language/Dutch/Grammar/Questions

Dutch Grammar - Questions

Hi Dutch learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be diving into the world of questions in Dutch. We'll learn how to form questions with words like "wie" (who), "wat" (what), "waar" (where), and more. Plus, we'll explore a few unique aspects of Dutch question formation that you might not find in other languages. Let's get started!

Basic Question Words

Just like in English, Dutch has a set of basic question words that are used to ask questions. Let's take a look at them here:

Dutch	Pronunciation	English
wie	[ˈʋi]	who
wat	[ʋɑt]	what
waar	[ʋaːr]	where
wanneer	[ʋɛnˈdreːr]	when
waarom	[ʋaːˈrɔm]	why
hoe	[hu]	how
welke	[ˈʋɛlkə]	which

Here's an example conversation that uses some of these basic question words:

• Person 1: Wie ben jij? ([Who are you?])
• Person 2: Ik ben Mark. ([I am Mark.])
• Person 1: Wat is jouw favoriete kleur? ([What is your favorite color?])
• Person 2: Mijn favoriete kleur is blauw. ([My favorite color is blue.])

Inverted Word Order

One thing that can be confusing about Dutch questions is the way that word order changes. In a typical Dutch sentence, the subject comes before the verb:

• Ik eet een appel. ([I eat an apple.])

But in a question, the verb comes before the subject:

• Eet jij een appel? ([Do you eat an apple?])

This inverted word order is similar to what you might find in some other languages, like French or Spanish. Here's another example conversation that illustrates this:

• Person 1: Ga jij naar het feest vanavond? ([Are you going to the party tonight?])
• Person 2: Ja, ik ga naar het feest. ([Yes, I am going to the party.])

Tag Questions

Another unique aspect of Dutch questions is the use of tag questions. These are small phrases that are added to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. Here are a few examples:

• Het is mooi weer, hè? ([It's nice weather, isn't it?])
• Jij houdt van drop, toch? ([You like licorice, don't you?])
• Dat is niet waar, of wel? ([That's not true, is it?])

Notice that the tag question in each of these examples is formed with the words "hè," "toch," and "of wel," respectively. These words are used in different situations and can be a bit tricky to master, so we won't go into too much detail here. But it's good to be aware of them so you can recognize them when you hear them.

More Examples

Let's take a look at a few more examples of questions in Dutch:

• Waar woon jij? ([Where do you live?])
• Wanneer ben jij geboren? ([When were you born?])
• Wie heeft dat gedaan? ([Who did that?])
• Hoeveel kost het? ([How much does it cost?])
• Welke taal spreek jij? ([Which language do you speak?])

And here's a short dialogue using some of these questions:

• Person 1: Waar ben jij geboren? ([Where were you born?])
• Person 2: Ik ben geboren in Amsterdam. ([I was born in Amsterdam.])
• Person 1: Welke taal spreek jij thuis? ([Which language do you speak at home?])
• Person 2: Thuis spreek ik Nederlands en Engels. ([At home, I speak Dutch and English.])

Practice

To practice forming questions in Dutch, try finding a language partner on Polyglot Club. Find native speakers and ask them any questions you might have. You can also review more Dutch Grammar lessons on the Polyglot Club website.

Sources

• Dutch Grammar - Wikipedia
• Dutch Language - Wikipedia

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