Breakdown of Zien jullie hoe snel wij naar dat continent verzenden?
wij
we
jullie
you (plural)
zien
to see
snel
fast
naar
to
dat
that (het-words)
hoe
how
het continent
the continent
verzenden
to dispatch
Questions & Answers about Zien jullie hoe snel wij naar dat continent verzenden?
If I wanted to specify 'that continent Europe' here, would I need to add the word van (of)?
No, you wouldn't use van. You would simply say dat continent Europa. In Dutch, when you combine a geographical category (like a continent, city, or province) with its specific name, you place them directly next to each other. This often differs from English, which frequently uses 'of' (e.g., 'the city of Amsterdam' translates to de stad Amsterdam).
Why is the verb verzenden at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase starting with hoe snel (how fast) is an indirect question, which acts as a subordinate clause. In Dutch subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb (in this case, verzenden) is pushed to the very end of the clause.
Is there a difference in meaning between verzenden and sturen?
Yes. While both mean 'to send', verzenden is more formal and is specifically used for shipping goods, mailing parcels, or commercial dispatching. Sturen is the broader, everyday word for 'to send' and can be used for everything from physical letters to a quick text message or email.
Could I use the unstressed pronoun we instead of wij in this sentence?
Yes, grammatically we works perfectly fine. However, using the stressed pronoun wij adds emphasis. In this context, it highlights that we (perhaps our specific company or team) are the ones shipping so fast, contrasting our performance with others.
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