Breakdown of Daarom hebben we de puzzel met z'n tweeën gekraakt.
hebben
to have
twee
two
met
with
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
daarom
therefore
z'n
his / its / one's (unstressed)
de puzzel
the puzzle
kraken
to crack
Questions & Answers about Daarom hebben we de puzzel met z'n tweeën gekraakt.
Why does the phrase use z'n when the subject is we?
In Dutch, the phrase structure met z'n + [number] + en is a fixed expression used for groups doing something together. Even though z'n originally comes from zijn (his), it has become completely frozen in this idiom. You use met z'n regardless of whether the subject is wij, jullie, or zij. So, met z'n tweeën means the two of us here, but it could also mean the two of them or the two of you in a different sentence.
Why is there an -en added to twee in tweeën?
In these specific met z'n phrases, numbers take a plural -en or -n ending because you are referring to a group of people. For twee, it becomes tweeën (with the two dots, called a trema, showing where the new syllable starts). You will see the same pattern with other numbers, like met z'n drieën for the three of us or met z'n vieren for the four of us.
Why does the verb hebben come before the subject we?
This is a quick refresher on the Dutch V2 (verb-second) rule. In a normal main clause, the conjugated verb must be in the second position. Because this sentence starts with the word Daarom (That is why) in position one, the verb hebben must take position two. This pushes the subject we into position three.
Does the verb kraken work just like in English for puzzles?
Yes! Just like in English, the verb kraken (to crack) can be used literally, like cracking a nut, or figuratively for solving a difficult problem, code, or puzzle. Here, de puzzel gekraakt translates perfectly to cracked the puzzle.
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