Breakdown of Wij gooien de batterij niet weg, dat is immers gevaarlijk.
zijn
to be
niet
not
wij
we
dat
that (het-words)
gevaarlijk
dangerous
weggooien
to throw away
de batterij
the battery
immers
after all (giving a reason)
Questions & Answers about Wij gooien de batterij niet weg, dat is immers gevaarlijk.
What exactly does immers add to this sentence?
Immers translates roughly to 'after all' or 'as you know'. You use it when giving a reason or justification (that throwing away batteries is dangerous) that you expect the listener already knows or agrees with. It builds a sense of consensus rather than just stating a new fact.
Why is immers placed after the verb is?
Immers is an adverb. In a main clause like dat is immers gevaarlijk, these types of adverbs belong in the 'middle field' — the section of the sentence right after the conjugated verb (is). It sounds unnatural at the very beginning or the very end of this clause.
Could I use want (because) instead of immers here?
Yes, you could say ..., want dat is gevaarlijk. However, using immers in a fresh main clause without a conjunction like want is a very natural Dutch way to add a reason as a follow-up thought, specifically emphasizing that this reason is shared knowledge.
Why is niet placed right before weg in the first part of the sentence?
Weggooien (to throw away) is a separable verb. In a main clause, the conjugated part (gooien) takes the second position, and the prefix (weg) is sent to the very end of the clause. When negating a separable verb, niet generally goes right before that separated prefix at the end.
Learn Wij gooien de batterij niet weg, dat is immers gevaarlijk 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