Breakdown of Laten we naar de toespraak luisteren.
naar
to
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
laten
to let (laten we ... = let's ...)
de toespraak
the speech
Questions & Answers about Laten we naar de toespraak luisteren.
Why is luisteren at the very end of the sentence?
This is the standard rule for making suggestions with laten we ("let's"). The verb laten acts like a helping verb here, which means the main action verb (luisteren) gets pushed to the end of the sentence in its full dictionary form (the infinitive).
Could I say "Laten we luisteren naar de toespraak" to match the English word order?
No, that would sound unnatural in Dutch. Because of the laten we structure, the main verb (luisteren) must go at the very end, after all other details like the prepositional phrase naar de toespraak.
Why do we need the word naar here?
Just like in English where you listen to a speech, in Dutch you use the fixed combination luisteren naar. The preposition naar connects the verb to what you are listening to.
Where does the word toespraak come from?
Toespraak means "speech" or "address." It is a noun related to the verb spreken (to speak) and the direction toe (towards), so it literally relates to speaking towards an audience.