Word
Wij onderhandelen graag, mits u met deze regel instemt.
Meaning
We are happy to negotiate, provided that you agree to this rule.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Wij onderhandelen graag, mits u met deze regel instemt.
u
you (formal)
wij
we
deze
this / these
graag
gladly
Questions & Answers about Wij onderhandelen graag, mits u met deze regel instemt.
How does mits affect the word order in the second half of the sentence?
The word mits (provided that) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and pushes the conjugated verb (instemt) all the way to the end of that clause.
Why is instemt written as one single word here?
The verb here is instemmen (to agree), which is a separable verb made of in + stemmen. In a normal main clause, the prefix in would separate and go to the end. However, because mits pushes the conjugated part to the end of the clause as well, the two parts meet and reconnect into the single word instemt.
Why does the Dutch sentence use met when the English translation says agree TO this rule?
Verbs often take specific prepositions that do not match English perfectly. In Dutch, the verb instemmen is fixed to the preposition met (with). So while in English you agree TO a rule, in Dutch you agree WITH a rule (instemmen met).
Where is the translation for are happy to in the first part of the sentence?
Dutch rarely translates are happy to literally in this context. Instead, it uses the adverb graag (gladly or willingly) next to the verb. So wij onderhandelen graag literally means we negotiate gladly, which is the most natural way to say we are happy to negotiate.