Referring expressions - Verwijswoorden

Indefinite pronominal adverbs - Onbepaalde voornaamwoordelijke bijwoorden

The >indefinite pronouns for inanimate objects are iets and alles. In combination with a preposition Dutch uses the indefinite adverbs of place ergens and overal to make indefinite pronominal adverbs. Note that there is also a negative indefinite pronoun, niets, which has an adverbial counterpart: nergens.

 

indefinite pronoun indefinite pronominal adverbs

We kunnen wel iets betalen maar niet alles.

We kunnen niets betalen.

We hebben wel ergens geld voor maar niet overal voor.

We hebben nergens geld voor.


The column on the left contains examples where one would use an indefinite pronoun (iets or alles, or niets) in sentences whose verbs do not require a preposition (betalen). In the right-hand column you find that the verbs require a preposition (geld hebben voor) and that the indefinite pronominal adverbs ergens,overal and nergens are needed.

The examples clearly show the correspondences between ‘normal' verbs and indefinite pronouns on the on hand, and phrasal verbs and indefinite pronominal adverbs on the other hand.

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