Questions & Answers about Wij fietsen vaak samen.
Why is the verb fietsen the exact same as the infinitive dictionary form?
In Dutch, regular verbs in the present tense are very easy for plural subjects like wij (we), jullie (you plural), and zij (they). You just use the entire infinitive form, which almost always ends in -en.
In English we say 'We often cycle', putting the frequency word before the verb. Why is it Wij fietsen vaak in Dutch?
Dutch uses a strict rule for main sentences where the working verb must be in the second position. Because wij is in the first position, the verb fietsen must come right after it. Adverbs like vaak (often) have to wait until after the verb.
Could I use we instead of wij in this sentence?
Yes! We and wij both mean 'we'. Wij is the emphasized form, used when you want to put a little extra focus on who is doing the cycling. If you just want to state a casual fact, we fietsen vaak samen is perfectly fine and very common.
Is fietsen related to the Dutch noun for bicycle?
Exactly! The noun for bicycle is fiets. Dutch often turns nouns directly into verbs by just adding -en to make the infinitive. So fietsen literally means 'to bicycle'.