Questions & Answers about Sorteer jij de was boven?
Why does de was come before boven?
de was (the laundry) is a definite direct object. As you are learning in this lesson, definite objects are placed before adverbs of time, manner, and place. Since boven (upstairs) is an adverb of place, de was has to come before it.
How would the sentence change if I just asked about 'sorting laundry' (without 'the')?
If you use an indefinite object like was (laundry in general) instead of de was, it moves to the right of the adverb. The sentence would become: Sorteer jij boven was?
Why doesn't the verb have a -t at the end?
When making a question where the subject jij or je comes immediately after the verb, you drop the -t ending. So it is jij sorteert in a normal statement, but Sorteer jij? as a question.
Can boven mean things other than 'upstairs'?
Yes, its literal meaning is 'above' or 'up'. However, when talking about actions inside a house, it is the standard everyday word for 'upstairs'. The opposite, 'downstairs', is beneden.