Breakdown of Het begon te regenen, dus we zouden niet meer wandelen.
niet
not
wij
we
beginnen
to begin
wandelen
to walk (for pleasure)
het
it
zullen
shall / will
regenen
to rain
meer
more
dus
so, therefore
te
to (infinitive marker)
Questions & Answers about Het begon te regenen, dus we zouden niet meer wandelen.
Why is zouden used here to translate as "weren't going to"?
In Dutch, we use the past tense of zullen (zou or zouden) combined with an infinitive (wandelen) to express the "future in the past". It describes a plan or intention that existed in the past but looked forward in time. In English, this is often expressed as "was/were going to" or "would".
Why is the word order after dus standard (subject-verb) rather than sending the verb to the end?
Dus (so/therefore) is a coordinating conjunction, just like en (and) or maar (but). This means it connects two main clauses, so the word order in the second clause remains standard: Subject (we) + Verb (zouden).
Why is there a te before regenen?
The verb beginnen (to start) requires the word te when it is followed by another verb. So "started to rain" translates to begon te regenen, using the past tense of beginnen plus te plus the infinitive.
How does niet meer work in this sentence?
In Dutch, niet meer is used together to mean "not anymore" or "no longer". Unlike English, where "not" and "anymore" are often separated by the main verb ("weren't going to walk anymore"), Dutch places niet meer together just before the final infinitive (wandelen).
Learn Het begon te regenen, dus we zouden niet meer wandelen 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