Breakdown of Mits we het plein herbouwen, zal het gebied herleven.
wij
we
zullen
shall / will
het plein
the square
het gebied
the area
Questions & Answers about Mits we het plein herbouwen, zal het gebied herleven.
How does the prefix her- change the meaning of bouwen and leven in this sentence?
The prefix her- indicates repetition, working exactly like the English prefix "re-". By adding it to the base verbs bouwen (to build) and leven (to live), we get herbouwen (to rebuild) and herleven (to revive or live again).
Are verbs with the her- prefix, like herbouwen, separable?
No, the prefix her- makes a verb inseparable. If this were a main clause (for example, "we rebuild the square"), the verb wouldn't split apart: you would say we herbouwen het plein. Because they are inseparable, these verbs also do not take a ge- prefix when formed into a past participle (e.g., herbouwd, not geherbouwd).
What kind of word is mits, and how does it affect the sentence structure?
Mits is a subordinating conjunction meaning "provided that" or "on the condition that". Like other subordinating conjunctions (such as omdat or hoewel), it introduces a subordinate clause and forces all the verbs in that clause (in this case, herbouwen) to move to the very end.
I sometimes confuse mits and tenzij. What is the difference?