Breakdown of Ik zal vanavond de jongen met wie ik date kussen.
ik
I
de jongen
the boy
met
with
wie
who
vanavond
tonight
zullen
shall / will
kussen
to kiss
daten
to date
Questions & Answers about Ik zal vanavond de jongen met wie ik date kussen.
Why does this sentence use met wie instead of just wie or die?
In Dutch, the verb daten (to date) is usually paired with the preposition met (with) — literally 'dating with someone'. When a relative clause refers back to a person (like de jongen) and involves a preposition, we must use the preposition followed by wie. So, 'the boy I am dating' becomes de jongen met wie ik date (the boy with whom I date).
Why is kussen at the very end of the sentence?
The main sentence uses the future tense with zal (will) and the infinitive kussen (kiss). In Dutch, the infinitive gets pushed to the very end of the clause. The direct object receiving the kiss is the entire phrase de jongen met wie ik date. Therefore, kussen must wait until after that whole descriptive phrase is complete!
Is date a Dutch word here?
Yes, daten is a verb borrowed from English. It follows standard Dutch conjugation rules, so for ik we just use the stem date. It is pronounced exactly like the English word 'date', though the full infinitive daten is pronounced 'day-tuhn'.
Could I put vanavond at the very end of the sentence?
It is much better exactly where it is: right after the first verb (zal). In Dutch, time words like vanavond (tonight) usually come as early as possible after the conjugated verb. Putting it at the very end, especially after a long relative clause, would sound very unnatural.
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