Breakdown of Zonder de goedkeuring stoppen we met werken.
werken
to work
met
with
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
zonder
without
de goedkeuring
the approval
stoppen met
to stop (doing)
Questions & Answers about Zonder de goedkeuring stoppen we met werken.
How is the noun goedkeuring formed in this sentence?
It comes from the separable verb goedkeuren (to approve). To turn the action into a noun, Dutch takes the verb stem (goedkeur) and adds the suffix -ing. Keep in mind that all nouns created with the -ing suffix take the article de.
Why is the word order stoppen we instead of we stoppen?
This is a classic case of inversion. Because the sentence starts with the prepositional phrase Zonder de goedkeuring, the finite verb (stoppen) must take the second position in the sentence, pushing the subject (we) directly after it.
English uses the gerund "working". Why does Dutch use the infinitive werken after met?
The verb stoppen requires the fixed preposition met (to stop with). When a preposition is followed by an action in Dutch, you use the full infinitive form of the verb. Unlike English, Dutch doesn't use an active participle here; the infinitive werken itself functions as the noun.
Why does the Dutch sentence include de before goedkeuring, whereas English might just say "Without approval"?
While you can say zonder goedkeuring in general, including de emphasizes that they are waiting for a specific, expected approval (like a permit or a manager's sign-off). Dutch tends to keep the definite article when an abstract noun refers to a specific, known instance.
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