Breakdown of We zullen elkaar altijd beschermen.
altijd
always
zullen
shall / will
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
elkaar
each other
Questions & Answers about We zullen elkaar altijd beschermen.
Why is "each other" translated as just one word, elkaar?
In Dutch, the concept of "each other" or "one another" is expressed with the single word elkaar. It acts as the object of the sentence, showing that the action goes both ways between the people in the We group.
Why is the verb beschermen (protect) at the very end of the sentence?
This sentence uses the helper verb zullen (will). In Dutch, the conjugated helper verb takes the second position, which pushes the main action verb (beschermen) all the way to the end of the sentence in its full dictionary form.
Why does altijd come after elkaar? Can I say "We zullen altijd elkaar beschermen"?
It is much more natural to put elkaar first. In Dutch word order, specific objects—especially pronouns like elkaar, het, or mij—usually come before adverbs of time like altijd (always).
Does zullen just mean future tense here?
While zullen is often used for the future tense, it also carries a strong sense of a promise or a firm intention here. It translates perfectly to "will" or "shall" in an English vow like "We will always protect each other."