Breakdown of Wij zouden de klacht eventueel bespreken.
wij
we
zullen
shall / will
bespreken
to discuss
eventueel
possibly / optionally
de klacht
the complaint
Questions & Answers about Wij zouden de klacht eventueel bespreken.
Why are the verbs split up, with zouden in the second position and bespreken at the very end?
This is standard Dutch word order. When you use a form of zouden (would), it takes the normal verb position, and pushes the main action verb (bespreken) all the way to the end of the sentence in its full dictionary form (the infinitive).
Wait, doesn't eventueel mean "eventually"?
No, this is a classic false friend! In Dutch, eventueel means "possibly" or "if necessary". If you want to say "eventually" in Dutch, you should use a word like uiteindelijk.
How does using zouden change the tone here compared to zullen (will)?
Saying wij zullen makes it a firm fact: "We will discuss it." Using zouden makes the sentence hypothetical and much softer: "We would discuss it" (perhaps if you ask us to, or if the situation requires it). It is a very common way to sound polite, cautious, or helpful in Dutch.
Is the noun klacht (complaint) related to a verb?
Yes! It comes from the verb klagen, which means "to complain". If you look closely, klacht looks and sounds quite a bit like the second half of the English word "complaint".
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