Breakdown of In de herfst wandelen we vaak in het bos.
in
in
vaak
often
wandelen
to walk (for pleasure)
de herfst
the autumn
Questions & Answers about In de herfst wandelen we vaak in het bos.
Why is there a de before herfst? In English we just say in autumn.
In Dutch, you always use the definite article (de or het) with seasons. So you must say in de herfst (in the autumn), in de winter (in the winter), and so on.
Why does the sentence say wandelen we instead of we wandelen?
This is because of the V2 rule. The sentence starts with the time phrase In de herfst (position 1), so the verb wandelen must come next in position 2. This pushes the subject we to position 3.
Could I use the verb lopen instead of wandelen for walking in the forest?
You could, but wandelen is the better choice here. Wandelen specifically means walking for pleasure, like going for a stroll or a hike. Lopen refers to the general physical motion of walking (and can even mean running).
Why does vaak (often) come after the verb and subject?
Adverbs of time or frequency like vaak typically come right after the conjugated verb and the subject. Since the subject we is already behind the verb because of the V2 rule, vaak follows immediately after it.