Breakdown of Het huis waarop wij bieden, is ruim.
zijn
to be
het huis
the house
wij
we
waarop
on what
ruim
spacious
bieden
to bid
Questions & Answers about Het huis waarop wij bieden, is ruim.
Why do we use waarop instead of translating "that ... on" word-for-word?
When a relative clause gives more information about a thing (like het huis) and involves a preposition (like op), Dutch does not use standard connecting words like dat or die. Instead, it combines waar (where) with the preposition. So, "that we bid on" or "on which we bid" becomes waarop (literally "where-on").
How do I know to use op as the preposition here?
The preposition comes from the verb used in the sentence. Just like in English ("to bid on"), the Dutch verb bieden forms a fixed combination with the preposition op, making bieden op. That op is what attaches to waar to form waarop.
Why is the verb bieden at the end of the waarop clause?
The phrase waarop wij bieden is a relative clause, which is a type of subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the very end. Even though there are only two words after waarop, bieden is taking that mandatory final position.
Why is there a comma before is ruim, and why doesn't the word order change?
The comma simply shows where the extra information (waarop wij bieden) ends. If you take that part out, the core sentence is just Het huis is ruim (The house is spacious). The entire phrase "Het huis waarop wij bieden" acts as the subject, so the verb is stays in its normal second position right after it.
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