Questions & Answers about Dan zien we hun hond.
Why does the verb zien come before the subject we in this sentence?
Because the sentence starts with the time word dan (then). In Dutch, the verb must always be the second idea in a main sentence. When you put a word like dan at the front, the subject (we) has to move to the other side of the verb (zien) so the verb stays in the second spot. This swapping is called inversion.
How would the word order change if I started the sentence with we instead of dan?
If you start with the subject, the order goes back to a normal Subject-Verb-Object pattern: We zien dan hun hond. The verb zien is still in the second position, but because the subject we is first, they do not need to swap.
I remember that 'they' is zij or ze. Why does this sentence use hun for 'their'?
While zij and ze mean 'they' (the people doing the action), hun means 'their' (showing ownership). Just like in English you wouldn't say 'we see they dog,' in Dutch you must use the possessive word hun before hond.
Could I use wij instead of we in this sentence?