Breakdown of De oppas wandelt met de kinderwagen, nu wij werken.
wij
we
werken
to work
met
with
wandelen
to walk (for pleasure)
nu
now that
de oppas
the babysitter
de kinderwagen
the stroller
Questions & Answers about De oppas wandelt met de kinderwagen, nu wij werken.
Doesn't nu usually just mean 'now'? Why is it translated as 'now that' here?
While nu is commonly used as the adverb 'now', it can also act as a subordinating conjunction meaning 'now that'. When used this way, it introduces a dependent clause and forces the verb to the end of that clause. Because nu wij werken is so short, it looks like standard subject-verb order, but the verb werken is actually sitting in the final position!
Why doesn't the Dutch sentence use a continuous form like is aan het wandelen for 'is walking'?
English uses continuous tenses ('is walking', 'are working') very frequently, but Dutch generally prefers the simple present (wandelt, werken) for ongoing actions. You would typically only use the aan het + infinitive structure if you specifically needed to emphasize that an action is happening at this exact moment.
Is oppas specifically a female babysitter?
No, de oppas is a gender-neutral term that can refer to a babysitter of any gender. It comes directly from the verb oppassen, which means to look after someone or to pay attention.
How does the word kinderwagen break down?
It is a compound noun made from kind (child) + -er- (a linking sound often used for plurals) + wagen (wagon or cart). So it literally translates to 'children's wagon'. Dutch builds many everyday vocabulary words by gluing smaller words together like this.
Learn De oppas wandelt met de kinderwagen, nu wij werken 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