Breakdown of Laten we het neergestorte ruimteschip onderzoeken.
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
laten
to let (laten we ... = let's ...)
onderzoeken
to investigate
het ruimteschip
the spaceship
Questions & Answers about Laten we het neergestorte ruimteschip onderzoeken.
Why does neergestorte end in an -e if ruimteschip is a het word?
Because it is preceded by the definite article het. When a het word is preceded by a definite word like het, dit, or dat, the modifying adjective gets an -e. It only drops the -e when preceded by an indefinite word like een, geen, or no article at all.
How is neergestorte formed from the verb neerstorten?
It is the past participle of the separable verb neerstorten (which is neergestort) used as an adjective. When we add the required adjective ending -e, it becomes neergestorte. Using a past participle like this shows that the crashing action is already fully completed.
How does the phrase laten we work here?
The phrase laten we paired with the infinitive onderzoeken at the end of the sentence is the standard Dutch way to say 'let's'. It functions just like in English to make a suggestion or proposal that includes the speaker.
Is onderzoeken a separable or inseparable verb?