Breakdown of We sorteren al de kleding in de avond.
in
in
de avond
the evening
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
sorteren
to sort
al
all (the)
de kleding
the clothing
Questions & Answers about We sorteren al de kleding in de avond.
Why does this sentence use al de kleding instead of alle kleding?
This touches exactly on the current lesson! We use alle for general statements (meaning all clothing everywhere). We use al de before a specific, definite noun. Here, al de kleding means all of the specific clothing you are dealing with, like a pile of donations you need to sort.
Is kleding plural or singular here?
Kleding is a singular uncountable noun, which is a de-word. It works just like clothing in English. Even though it refers to many items, the grammar is singular. If you wanted to use a plural word, you would use kleren (clothes) and say al de kleren.
Could I say 's avonds instead of in de avond?
Yes, absolutely! 's avonds is a very common way to say in the evening or evenings. In de avond is just a more literal alternative that means exactly the same thing.
Why does the time phrase in de avond come at the very end of the sentence?
In Dutch, time phrases usually come early in the sentence. However, when the direct object is specific and definite, like al de kleding, it is very common for it to step in front of the time phrase. You could also say We sorteren in de avond al de kleding, which is completely fine too.
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