Breakdown of Moeten we de vrachtwagen vandaag lossen?
vandaag
today
moeten
to have to, must
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
de vrachtwagen
the truck
Questions & Answers about Moeten we de vrachtwagen vandaag lossen?
Why is the verb lossen all the way at the end of the sentence?
In Dutch, when you use a modal verb like moeten (to have to), the second verb in the sentence goes to the very end. Because this is a yes/no question, moeten is at the beginning, and the infinitive lossen (to unload) waits until the end.
Can I put the word vandaag earlier in the sentence?
Yes! You can also say Moeten we vandaag de vrachtwagen lossen? Dutch generally prefers to put time words like vandaag (today) early in the sentence. The order in this example puts a little more emphasis on the truck, but both are perfectly fine.
How does the word vrachtwagen break down?
It is a compound noun made of vracht (freight or cargo) and wagen (wagon or car). So it literally means 'freight wagon', which is the Dutch word for a truck or lorry.
If lossen means to unload, how do I say 'to load'?
The opposite of lossen is laden. You will often see these words together in the phrase laden en lossen (loading and unloading), which is commonly written on street signs for delivery zones.