Learn Dutch: Zullen we vanavond snacks en olijven halen? - Shall we get snacks and olives tonight?

In Dutch, you use zullen we with an infinitive verb at the very end of the sentence (in this case, halen) to make a proposal. It is the most natural way to say "shall we" or "let's" do something together.

Why does this sentence use "halen" instead of "krijgen" for "to get"?

Halen specifically means "to fetch" or "to go and pick up". When you talk about getting groceries, food, or drinks, Dutch always uses halen. If you used krijgen, it would mean "to receive" as a gift, which doesn't fit a quick trip to the store!

Why is "vanavond" placed right after "we"?

Dutch strongly prefers to put expressions of time as early in the sentence as possible. In a yes/no question, the structure is Verb-Subject-Time, so the time word vanavond goes immediately after zullen we.

I notice "olijven" is spelled with a "v". Is the singular word "olijve"?

No, the singular is olijf. In Dutch spelling, when a noun ends in an f preceded by a long vowel or a double vowel sound like ij, the f changes to a v when you make it plural by adding -en.