Breakdown of We komen elkaar vandaag overal tegen.
vandaag
today
overal
everywhere
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
elkaar
each other
Questions & Answers about We komen elkaar vandaag overal tegen.
Why is tegen all the way at the end of the sentence?
It belongs to the separable verb tegenkomen (to run into / to meet). In a standard main clause, the core verb (komen) takes the second position, and the prefix (tegen) gets pushed to the very end of the sentence.
How does elkaar work with the verb here?
Elkaar means "each other" and acts as the direct object of the verb tegenkomen. It shows that the action is mutual: you run into me, and I run into you.
Why does elkaar come before the time word vandaag?
In Dutch, specific direct objects—especially pronouns like me, het, or elkaar—usually come before expressions of time like vandaag (today).
Could I change the order and say overal vandaag instead?
It is much more natural to say vandaag overal. Dutch sentences generally follow a "Time, Manner, Place" rule. The time (vandaag) should come before the place (overal).