Breakdown of Jullie moeten een flexplek reserveren, want de kantoortuin is vol.
zijn
to be
een
a/an
jullie
you (plural)
want
because
vol
full
moeten
to have to, must
de kantoortuin
the open-plan office
de flexplek
the hot desk
reserveren
to reserve
Questions & Answers about Jullie moeten een flexplek reserveren, want de kantoortuin is vol.
Why is the word order normal after want, instead of sending the verb to the end?
Want (because) is a coordinating conjunction, meaning it joins two regular main clauses together. Because of this, the word order in the second part stays normal (Subject + Verb: de kantoortuin is). If you used omdat (which also means because), it would push the verb to the end: ...omdat de kantoortuin vol is.
What is the literal translation of kantoortuin?
It literally translates to "office garden" (kantoor + tuin). In Dutch, this is the standard, everyday term for an open-plan office where everyone works together without dividing walls.
What exactly is a flexplek?
A flexplek (flexible place) is the Dutch word for a "hot desk". In many modern Dutch offices, employees do not have assigned desks; instead, they have to claim or reserve an available flexplek when they come into the office.
How would I apply this lesson's grammar to say "You must reserve each other's hot desk"?
You would use the possessive reciprocal pronoun elkaars (each other's) and say: Jullie moeten elkaars flexplek reserveren. Just like in English, elkaars sits directly before the noun it possesses.
Why is reserveren at the very end of the first clause?
This is due to the modal verb moeten (must). In a main clause, the conjugated modal verb takes the second position, which pushes the main action verb (the infinitive reserveren) to the very end of that clause.
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