Breakdown of Zij leest de voorwaarden terwijl ze zich aanmeldt.
zij
she
lezen
to read
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
terwijl
while
zich aanmelden
to sign up
de voorwaarde
the condition
Questions & Answers about Zij leest de voorwaarden terwijl ze zich aanmeldt.
Why are both Zij and ze used in this sentence if they both mean the same thing?
Both words mean she, but zij is the emphasized form and ze is the unstressed form. By starting with Zij, we put a little focus on the person acting, while the second ze is just a standard subject without extra emphasis.
Why does the verb aanmeldt go at the very end of the sentence?
The word terwijl (while) introduces a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the end of the clause.
If the verb is aanmelden (to sign up), why isn't it split up into two words here?
aanmelden is a separable verb. In a normal main sentence, it splits (for example: Ze meldt zich aan). But because the subordinate clause pushes the verb to the end, the two parts are forced back together into the single word aanmeldt.
What is the word zich doing in this sentence?
The Dutch translation for to sign up or to register is zich aanmelden, which is a reflexive verb. It literally means to sign oneself up. Because the subject is ze (she), the matching reflexive pronoun is zich (herself).
Learn Zij leest de voorwaarden terwijl ze zich aanmeldt and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free