Breakdown of Hebben ze de vlucht voor ons geboekt?
hebben
to have
ons
us (object)
voor
for (on behalf of)
de vlucht
the flight
boeken
to book
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
Questions & Answers about Hebben ze de vlucht voor ons geboekt?
How do we know ze means "they" and not "she" in this sentence?
Look at the helper verb Hebben (have). Because it is in the plural form, ze must mean "they". If it meant "she", the verb would be singular: Heeft ze... (Has she...).
Why is geboekt at the very end of the sentence?
In Dutch, when you use the present perfect tense (have done something), the helper verb (hebben) takes the normal verb position, and the past participle (like geboekt) is pushed all the way to the end of the sentence.
How is the past participle geboekt formed?
The infinitive verb is boeken (to book). To make a regular past participle, you start with ge-, add the verb stem (boek), and end with -t or -d. Because the stem boek ends in a k (which is a soft, voiceless sound), it gets a -t at the end, making it geboekt.
Could I say Hebben zij de vlucht voor ons geboekt? instead?
Yes! ze is just the unstressed, everyday version of zij. Using zij would put more specific emphasis on the word "they" (for example, "Have they booked it, or did someone else?").
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