Questions & Answers about Wij zijn nu thuis.
Why use wij here instead of we?
Both wij and we mean "we". Wij is the emphasized form, and we is the normal, unstressed form. You could also say We zijn nu thuis, but using wij puts a little more emphasis on who is at home.
Is zijn the same for all plural pronouns?
Yes! For all plural subject pronouns (wij, jullie, and zij), the verb zijn (to be) stays exactly the same. So it is wij zijn (we are), jullie zijn (you all are), and zij zijn (they are).
Why does nu come before thuis? Can I say "Wij zijn thuis nu"?
In Dutch, expressions of time (like nu, meaning "now") almost always come before expressions of place (like thuis, meaning "at home"). This rule is often called "Time before Place". Because of this, saying "Wij zijn thuis nu" sounds unnatural to a Dutch speaker.
Why is it thuis and not huis?
Huis is the noun for a physical "house". Thuis is a special word that specifically means "at home" (it actually comes from an old combination of "te huis"). You use thuis whenever you want to say someone is currently located at their own home.
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