Breakdown of Vandaag beginnen we de samenwerking te controleren.
vandaag
today
beginnen
to begin
controleren
to check
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
te
to (infinitive marker)
de samenwerking
the collaboration
Questions & Answers about Vandaag beginnen we de samenwerking te controleren.
How does the -ing suffix work in samenwerking?
It turns the verb samenwerken (to work together / collaborate) into a noun, just like "-tion" or "-ing" does in English. Note that all Dutch nouns created with the -ing suffix are de words, which is why it is de samenwerking.
Why do we use te controleren instead of just controleren?
The main verb here is beginnen (to start). When beginnen is linked to another verb, it requires the te + infinitive construction. This is different from modal verbs like willen or moeten, which take the bare infinitive controleren without te.
Does controleren mean "to control" like it does in English?
Usually no! It is a classic false friend. Controleren almost always means "to check", "to inspect", or "to verify". If you want to express "to control" in the sense of being in charge of or steering something, you would use a verb like beheersen or besturen.
Why is the word order beginnen we and not we beginnen?
Because the sentence starts with the time word Vandaag (Today). Putting anything other than the subject in the first position of a main clause triggers inversion, meaning the conjugated verb (beginnen) must come immediately before the subject (we).
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