Breakdown of Wij spraken met de voormalige eigenaar van het bedrijf.
wij
we
met
with
van
from (possession, starting point) / made of
het bedrijf
the company
de eigenaar
the owner
spreken
to speak (a language) / to speak (give a statement / speak for someone)
voormalig
former
Questions & Answers about Wij spraken met de voormalige eigenaar van het bedrijf.
What is the difference between using spreken met and spreken tegen here?
Spreken met (to speak with) implies a two-way conversation or dialogue, which fits here since they had a discussion with the owner. Spreken tegen (to speak to) is more one-directional, like talking at someone, or can mean speaking out against someone.
Since this lesson is about extended attributive phrases, is voormalige acting as a participle here?
No, voormalig is simply a standard adjective meaning 'former'. It is not derived from a verb. It takes the -e ending simply because it modifies a de-word (de eigenaar). True extended attributive phrases in Dutch use present or past participles and often squeeze extra prepositional phrases between the article and the noun.
Could we combine eigenaar and bedrijf into a single compound noun in this sentence?
Yes, Dutch loves compound nouns! You could easily say de voormalige bedrijfseigenaar. Using van het (of the) is also perfectly correct and emphasizes the specific company, but combining them is a very natural and concise alternative in Dutch.
Why use the simple past spraken instead of the present perfect hebben gesproken?
While the present perfect (wij hebben met de eigenaar gesproken) is extremely common in daily spoken Dutch to report a past event, the simple past (wij spraken) is preferred in written narratives, formal reporting, or when setting the scene in a story.
Learn Wij spraken met de voormalige eigenaar van het bedrijf and more in Dutch
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free