Breakdown of We mogen hier niet van bureaustoel wisselen.
hier
here
niet
not
mogen
to be allowed to / may
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
Questions & Answers about We mogen hier niet van bureaustoel wisselen.
Why don't we use elkaars here, like elkaars bureaustoelen wisselen?
When you swap things like seats, clothes, or jobs, Dutch uses the fixed phrase wisselen van instead of literally saying you swap "each other's" items.
Why is the word van used in this sentence?
The verb wisselen (to swap or switch) is paired with the preposition van when you change from one thing to another. You will also see this in phrases like van baan wisselen (to change jobs).
Why is bureaustoel singular when the English translation says "office chairs"?
In the wisselen van structure, Dutch always uses the singular noun. You are basically saying "to swap of office chair", which expresses the general action rather than counting the individual chairs.
Why does niet go after hier but before van bureaustoel?
The word niet (not) generally goes after time and place words like hier (here). It is placed before van bureaustoel because prepositional phrases that are tightly connected to the main action usually sit near the end of the sentence, right after the negation.