Breakdown of Gaan we met de trein?
met
with
gaan
to go / to go off (of an alarm)
de trein
the train
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
Questions & Answers about Gaan we met de trein?
Since this lesson is about question words, why isn't there one here?
This is a yes/no question, which means the answer is simply yes or no. You don't need question words like wie (who) or waar (where) for these. Instead, you just put the verb first. By swapping the subject (we) and the verb (gaan), the statement We gaan (We are going) becomes the question Gaan we? (Are we going?).
Why does it say met de trein instead of just translating 'by train'?
In English, we say 'by train' without an article. In Dutch, you use the preposition met (with) and usually include the article de (the) when talking about transportation. So, 'by train' translates literally to 'with the train' (met de trein). You will see the same pattern for other vehicles, like met de auto (by car).
English uses 'Are we going', but there is no word for 'are' in the Dutch sentence. Why?
Dutch doesn't have an exact match for the English 'are going' or 'is going' structure. A regular Dutch present tense verb like gaan covers both 'go' and 'are going'. Therefore, Gaan we? means 'Are we going?' all on its own without needing an extra verb for 'are'.
Why is the verb gaan used here instead of gaat?
The verb changes depending on who is doing the action. Because the subject is we (we), you must use the plural form of the verb. In Dutch, plural subjects always take the full dictionary form (infinitive) of the verb, which is gaan}gaan.
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