Breakdown of Men schudt hier de hand en deze regels gelden altijd.
hier
here
en
and
altijd
always
deze
this / these
de regel
the rule
de hand
the hand
men
one / people (general)
gelden
to apply / be valid (rules, conditions)
schudden
to shake
Questions & Answers about Men schudt hier de hand en deze regels gelden altijd.
How does the pronoun men work here, and what verb form does it take?
Men translates to "one" or "people in general" and is mostly used in formal or written contexts. Grammatically, it acts like a third-person singular pronoun (just like hij or zij). That is why the verb is schudt (stem + t) rather than the plural schudden.
Could I use je or ze instead of men to mean "people in general"?
Yes, and in fact you should in everyday conversation! Spoken Dutch rarely uses men. It is much more natural to say Je schudt hier de hand (You shake hands here) or Ze schudden hier de hand (They shake hands here). Using men makes this sentence sound like an excerpt from an official etiquette guide.
Why is it de hand (singular) when the English translation says "shakes hands" (plural)?
In Dutch, the standard expression is iemand de hand schudden (to shake someone's hand). Even when referring to a general, collective practice involving many people, Dutch keeps the noun singular, focusing on the action of offering "the hand."
Why do we use deze regels instead of dit regels for "these rules"?
Because "rules" is plural. The word for rule is de regel, making its plural de regels. For all plural nouns (and singular de-words), you must use deze to mean "these" or "this." You only use dit for singular het-words.
The word gelden translates to "apply" here. Can I use it to say I am applying for a job?
No, this is a common trap for English speakers! Gelden means "to apply" in the sense of "to be valid" or "to be in effect" (like rules, laws, or tickets). If you are applying for a job, you need a completely different verb: solliciteren.
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