Breakdown of We bezoeken onze ouders in het weekend.
in
in
het weekend
the weekend
onze
our (de-words, plurals)
bezoeken
to visit
Questions & Answers about We bezoeken onze ouders in het weekend.
Why is it onze ouders and not ons ouders?
The Dutch word for "our" changes depending on the gender and number of the noun. We use ons for singular het-words (neuter nouns) and onze for de-words and all plural nouns. Because ouders (parents) is plural, it must take onze.
Could I use wij instead of we at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes! Wij and we both mean "we". Wij is the stressed form, used when you want to emphasize that we are doing it (and not someone else). We is the unstressed, everyday form. In this sentence, both are grammatically correct.
Why is the verb bezoeken not conjugated like other verbs?
It actually is conjugated, but in Dutch, all plural subjects (we, jullie, and zij) use the infinitive (the dictionary form) of the verb in the present tense. Because the subject is we, the verb bezoeken (to visit) keeps its -en ending.
Why does Dutch use in for in het weekend instead of a word for "on"?
Prepositions (small location or time words like in, on, at) often don't translate directly between English and Dutch. While English speakers say "on the weekend" or "at the weekend", Dutch speakers always say in het weekend (literally "in the weekend"). This is a set phrase you just need to memorize.