What is the Subject?

The subject is the person or thing that does something in a sentence. It answers the question: ‘Who or what is this about?’

How to Find the Subject

  • Look for the verb in the sentence.
  • Ask ‘Who or what is doing the action?’.
  • The answer is usually the subject.

Examples

Dutch Sentence English Translation
De kat slaapt. The cat is sleeping.
Mijn broer speelt voetbal. My brother plays soccer.
De zon schijnt. The sun is shining.
Wij eten pizza. We eat pizza.

Practice

To practice, try to find the subjects in the following sentences:

  • De hond blaft. (The dog barks.)
  • Jij loopt snel. (You walk fast.)
  • Haar moeder kookt goed. (Her mother cooks well.)