Breakdown of We trotseren de storm met z'n allen om te snowboarden.
met
with
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
te
to (infinitive marker)
om
in order to
de storm
the storm
z'n
his / its / one's (unstressed)
allen
all
snowboarden
to snowboard
trotseren
to brave / to defy
Questions & Answers about We trotseren de storm met z'n allen om te snowboarden.
What exactly does met z'n allen mean, and why is there a z'n (his) in it?
Met z'n allen is a fixed idiom meaning "all together" or "with all of us". The z'n doesn't literally mean "his" here; it is just a leftover from an old Dutch grammar system. You can use this phrase no matter who the subject is (we, they, you). You'll also see variations with numbers, like met z'n tweeën (the two of us/them).
Why do we need om te before snowboarden?
You use om te followed by an infinitive verb to express a goal or purpose, exactly like "in order to" in English. In this sentence, it explains the purpose behind braving the storm.
This lesson is about al (even if) clauses. How could we rewrite this idea using al stormt het (even if it storms)?
You could say: Al stormt het, we gaan met z'n allen snowboarden. Notice the word order in the main clause: after an al concessive clause, the main clause starts with the subject (we) and does not invert the verb, which is a special exception in Dutch grammar!
Is trotseren a regular verb, and where does it come from?
Yes, trotseren (to brave or defy) is a regular verb. Like many Dutch verbs ending in -eren (such as proberen or studeren), it comes from a French root and is never a separable verb.
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