Breakdown of Terwijl ze chatten, luisteren ze goed naar elkaar.
naar
to
luisteren
to listen
goed
good
ze
they; she (unstressed form of zij) / them (object)
elkaar
each other
terwijl
while
chatten
to chat (online)
Questions & Answers about Terwijl ze chatten, luisteren ze goed naar elkaar.
Why is it naar elkaar here instead of just elkaar?
The Dutch verb luisteren (to listen) requires the preposition naar (to), just like in English. When you want to say "listen to each other", you simply combine the preposition naar and the reciprocal pronoun elkaar.
Why does the second half of the sentence say luisteren ze instead of ze luisteren?
The sentence starts with the subordinate clause Terwijl ze chatten (While they chat). Because this entire clause takes up the first position in the sentence, the main verb (luisteren) must come immediately after the comma, followed by its subject (ze). This swap is called inversion.
Is chatten a standard Dutch verb?
Yes, even though it is an English loanword, chatten is fully integrated into Dutch. It follows regular Dutch conjugation rules, which is why the plural "they chat" is written as ze chatten.
The English translation says "closely", but doesn't goed mean "good" or "well"?
Exactly! Literally, the sentence says they listen "well" to each other. In Dutch, goed luisteren is the standard way to express listening closely or paying careful attention to someone.
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