Question 1

Why is oplossen at the very end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Because of the helping verb moeten (have to). In Dutch, when you use a helping verb or modal verb, the main action verb gets pushed to the very end of the sentence in its full dictionary form (the infinitive).

Question 2

Oplossen is a separable verb. Why isn't it split up here?

Accepted Answer

Separable verbs only split when they are the active, conjugated verb in the sentence (for example: Wij lossen de aanwijzing op). Because moeten takes that active role in this sentence, oplossen stays in one piece at the end.

Question 3

How do we form ordinal numbers like tweede (second)?

Accepted Answer

For most numbers up to 19, you simply add -de to the standard number (twee becomes tweede, vier becomes vierde). The main exceptions you need to memorize are 1st (eerste) and 8th (achtste).

Question 4

Moeten usually translates to "must". Why does the English translation say "have to"?

Accepted Answer

In Dutch, moeten is the standard way to express that a task needs to be done. While it can translate directly to "must", English speakers usually prefer "have to" for everyday tasks because "must" can sound a bit formal or strict. In Dutch, moeten doesn't carry that overly strict feeling.

We moeten de tweede aanwijzing oplossen.

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