Breakdown of We hoeven niet op de lerares te wachten.
niet
not
op
on
wachten
to wait
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
hoeven
to need (to)
te
to (infinitive marker)
de lerares
the female teacher
Questions & Answers about We hoeven niet op de lerares te wachten.
How is the feminine word lerares formed from the general word for teacher?
The base word for a teacher is leraar. To make it specifically feminine, Dutch adds the suffix -es, making it lerares. This is a common suffix for professions, similar to the English '-ess' in 'actress'.
Why do we use hoeven niet ... te wachten instead of moeten niet wachten for 'do not need to wait'?
In Dutch, moeten niet means 'must not' (a strong prohibition). To say 'do not have to' or 'do not need to', you always use the verb hoeven combined with a negative word like niet and place te before the infinitive verb.
Why is the preposition op used here instead of voor ('for')?
The verb wachten (to wait) requires the fixed preposition op when you are waiting for someone or something. English prepositions often do not translate word-for-word, so it is best to memorize the pair wachten op together.
Why are the words te wachten placed at the very end of the sentence?
In a standard Dutch main clause, the conjugated verb (hoeven) takes the second position. Any remaining verbs or verb parts, such as the infinitive wachten and its marker te, are pushed to the very end of the sentence.
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